SOURCE: "Structural Ambiguity in Jorge Amado's A Morte e a Morte de Quincas Berro Dágua," in Hispania, Vol. 67, No. 2, May, 1984, pp. 221-28.

In the following essay, Fitz asserts that "in A Morte e a Morte de Quincas Berro Dágua, Jorge Amado offers tangible evidence of how technically sophisticated he can be, of how effectively he can combine the best features of literature's oral tradition with those of its written form."

While, as William Empson has demonstrated, a properly conceived and controlled ambiguity can add richness, complexity and depth to any literary work, Jorge Amado's A Morte e a Morte de Quincas Berro Dágua offers us a singular example of just how integral a role it can play in the structuring of an entire novel. Arguably Amado's finest overall technical achievement, the tale of the materially poor but spiritually rich vagabond, Quincas Berro Dágua, is...