Neste conto, o protagonista, Dr. Jeremias Halma, é um médico que trata exatamente das "doenças da alma", podendo figurar entre aqueles personagens machadianos dotados de traços semelhantes aos de um analista.
Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, often known as Machado de Assis, Machado, or Bruxo do Cosme Velho, (June 21, 1839, Rio de Janeiro—September 29, 1908, Rio de Janeiro) was a Brazilian novelist, poet, playwright and short story writer. He is widely regarded as the most important writer of Brazilian literature. However, he did not gain widespread popularity outside Brazil in his own lifetime. Machado's works had a great influence on Brazilian literary schools of the late 19th century and 20th century. José Saramago, Carlos Fuentes, Susan Sontag and Harold Bloom are among his admirers and Bloom calls him "the supreme black literary artist to date."
Curioso e descritivo, com aquele toque psicológico que Machado domina. A narrativa brinca com a percepção e a culpa, mostrando como pequenos desvios podem se transformar em grandes dilemas morais. Um conto interessante, mesmo que mais simples dentro da obra dele.