Brás, despite his numerous endeavors throughout the novel, ultimately achieves very little of lasting significance. He pursues love, political influence, and even attempts to create a philosophical plaster, all with underwhelming results. This theme highlights the emptiness inherent in chasing after worldly success and recognition, ultimately suggesting that true meaning might lie elsewhere.

As Brás delves into his past, the novel grapples with the subjective and unreliable nature of memory. Events are filtered through his biased perspective, often presented with a humorous self-awareness of his own shortcomings. This forces readers to question the veracity of his account and consider how our own memories are shaped by time, ego, and perception.

Through Brás's cynical observations of Rio de Janeiro's elite, Machado de Assis delivers a scathing critique of 19th-century Brazilian society. He satirizes the hypocrisy, superficiality, and self-serving nature of the upper class, exposing the absurdity of their social conventions and the hollowness of their pursuits.