Abstract
Separated by a short period of time, the novels Sonhos d'ouro (1872), by José de Alencar and A mão e a luva (1874), by Machado de Assis, converge when dealing with the theme of social ambition amidst an historical scenario marked by the liberal ideal. In this project we suggest a reading of these works, relating each other in their similarities and disparities, and taking care to constant…