Divine justice and social hypocrisy

dialogues between the Comedy, by Dante Alighieri, and “The Sin”, by Lima Barreto

Abstract

This study establishes a comparison between the Comedy by Dante Alighieri and the short story The Sin (O Pecado) by Lima Barreto, exploring how both works address the social and moral systems of their respective eras. Dante constructs a complex allegory of the afterlife, in which souls are organized and judged according to the gravity of their sins, reflecting the theological values of medieval Italy. In contrast, Lima Barreto deconstructs this logic by presenting a narrative marked by the structural racism of early 20th-century Brazilian society. In The Sin, the protagonist is judged not by his actions but by the color of his skin, being excluded from divine salvation. Barreto uses his work to criticize the hypocrisy of a society that, while proclaiming Christian ideals of equality, perpetuates discriminatory practices. The analysis incorporates the theories of Stuart Hall and Frantz Fanon to contextualize the role of representation and identity within systems of cultural power. While Hall discusses the construction of the Black subject as the “Other,” Fanon emphasizes the psychological consequences of such exclusion. By contrasting the works of Dante and Barreto, the study shows how both authors, each in their own way, use fiction to question the moral, religious, and social systems of their times. Their critiques, though rooted in different historical contexts, remain relevant by fostering reflections on justice, equality, and humanity.