military deeds, and in fact, he only achieved generalship because of his many years in service. Other characters are seen as purely mediocre: none of them has real value and are bureaucrats. Quaresma's plan is soon put in action: he sends a requirement to the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies requesting a change in the official language of Brazil. He wanted the Tupi language, which is indigenous and pure Brazilian, in the place of Portuguese, since Portuguese was "imported" from the European settlers. Quaresma was seen as crazy by the press and was harshly satirized. To worsen the situation, Quaresma accidentally sent a document in Tupi to the Ministry, and was fired. The story continues in an asylum, where Quaresma was sent after these events. However, his friend Coleoni and his goddaughter Olga still believed in him and his plan. Part Two The second part of the book illustrates the struggles of the rural properties in Brazil. Healthy and retired, Quaresma is convinced by Olga to sell his house and buy a countryside estate. He tries to prove the fertility and richness of Brazilian soil, which was so praised by the Portuguese in the letter of discovery sent to the Portuguese king in the 1500s. Quaresma's plan was to promote the agricultural development of Brazil, in hopes of bringing economical growth to the country. However, his property is infested by sauva ants, invasive plants and succumbs to weather. In spite of his efforts, the property fails. In addition, he sees himself dealing with the small mentality and defamation by the town's politicians and people, who cannot understand his political neutrality. In the end, Quaresma abandons his property to go support the President in Rio against the Navy. Part Three The last part is the climax of the book. During the Second Naval Revolt (Segunda Revolta da Armada), Quaresma is finally disappointed by the crude reality of the Brazilian government. When the revolt erupts, Quaresma takes President Floriano Peixoto's side and quickly comes back to Rio, to help the President in the confrontation. Upon his arrival in the capital, Quaresma is received by Floriano Peixoto, and brings him a document on difficulties of the national agriculture. However, Peixoto pays no attention to the document. As a supporter of the regime, Quaresma is put in charge of a squad, albeit his lack of military experience. In his squad, many of the soldiers had