The Second Mother and How it Relates to Brazilian Culture

Brazilian culture, while difficult to define on its own, is identified in the fact that it has been influenced from many civilizations, ultimately becoming unique itself. The cordial man represents this ideology, and metaphorically represents the Brazilian way of life. The cordial man is family oriented, places a high value in quality of life, and is far more open about body and soul than their North American counter-parts. This is almost anti-American of sorts, in contrast with American's high paced work ethic, emphasis on community rather than family (or at least more so than South American cultures) and inability to show emotions and inhibitions as openly as those in Brazil. These ideas shape the activities and lifestyle of the Brazilian people, and can be seen throughout the culture in the media, social interactions, and everyday life.

The movie "The Second Mother" we watched Friday night exhibited multiple examples of cordiality, from varying points of view. The film focuses on Val, a maid for a wealthy Brazilian family. After many years of work raising Barbara and Dr. Carlos' son Fabinho, Val's daughter Jessica visits as she prepares for her university entrance exam in Sao Paulo. As time goes on, a rift grows between Barbara and Jessica, as the mother views Jessica as a threat to her family and way of life. The theme of family, is key throughout the film, as Dona Barbara struggles to maintain her grip on her loved ones. It is evident that Val is the true mother figure to Fabinho, as she has raised him his entire life. In addition, Dr. Carlos' lust for Jessica causes friction within the household. In many ways, he shares many of the same traits as the traditional cordial man. He does not work, instead relying on an inheritance to fund his passions of art and academia, while his pursuit of the maid's daughter shows his way of living freely, without restraint.

The cordial man is also prominent in Val, as she grows throughout the film. At the beginning, she is incredibly focused on her work, in order to provide for a family at home that she hasn't seen in ten years. This is very similar to the American concept that the cordial man opposes, and we see Val shift towards this more relaxed view of life as the movie progresses. When Jessica arrives, it becomes evident that her daughter is the most important aspect of Val's life. As events progress, and the bond between mother and daughter strengthens, Val eventually decides to quit her longtime job. This shows her becoming the cordial man metaphorically, as she  becomes more invested in family and quality of life rather than work and the community.

In total, "The Second Mother" exhibits many traits of cordiality as mentioned in "Roots of Brazil". Two characters move down parallel paths, while in opposite directions. In many ways we see the values of Brazilian culture, shown by both the treatment on Val throughout the film, and changing values of the characters throughout.