History Literature / AguaDeBarrela

** OutnumberedSibling: they have one girl amid six boys.

** Outnumbered sibling: they have one girl amid six boys.

* MeaningfulRename: Akin gets renamed by a priest to Firmino when he arrives in Brazil. He only finds out that his name came from Latin and meant strong decades later, due to another priest Samuel. His new name was chosen in reference to his great physical strength, but also comes to mean his great resilience.

* ChristmasCake: The Bandeira sisters, except for the fourth one, who got married at 13. Maricota is the biggest example: she got married at 30.

* LukeIMightBeYourFather: Colonel Francisco makes Anolina his sexual slave for a time, the briefly stops when he gets married. In this meantime, Anolina falls in love with Alexandre (who, to complicate things further, is the son of the Colonel's father, also named Francisco, with one of his slaves), the caretaker of the house's horses. They start dating, and the Colonel starts abusing her again. Anolina then gets pregnant and nobody is sure of the kid's father. Although she considers it to be Alexandre, she knows it's a 50/50 chance. She never tells Martha who's her father.

* [[UnstoppableRage Blind Fury]]: After knowing [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil what Moreno did to Isabel]], he goes straight to him and almost beats him up, only stopping after José Hauçá gets between them.
** After one of the freedmen call Moreno due to a land dispute with other freedmen, including Firmino, they fight again and the same blind fury appears. They only stop fighting after two freedmen come to take Firmino away.

* ParentWithANewParamour: Martha starts dating Roberto after separating from Adônis. The girls, Damiana and Dodó, react well.

* ElementalMotifs + MythicalMotifs: Rain and storms (and sometimes fire) appear in the novel to mark important events, such as Anolina being born during a soft rain [[spoiler: and the second Roberto dying during a storm]]. The rain, the storms and the fire are associated with the orisha Xangô/Shango, which is said to be the family's protector, as their original surname while in Africa was Shangokunle.

* RiddleForTheAges: just what did Shango (while on Martha's body) said to João Paulo to make him compliant? (For a time, at least). Martha doesn't remember anything and Regina (their neighbor) and João Paulo don't want to say anything.

* StrongFamilyResemblance: the Vieira Tosta, after so many intermarriages, look very alike, giving the impression that they're all the same man/woman.

* Apocalyptic gag order: The president and the flu. He refused to admit something was happening, despite the deaths piling up. In the end, he dies due to it.

* UnstoppableRage: After knowing [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil what Moreno did to Isabel]], he goes straight to him and almost beats him up, only stopping after José Hauçá gets between them.

* OldRetainer: Dodó becomes this to a branch of the Tosta family. [[spoiler: [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome they make her exhaust herself while working for them, suffering emotional abuse to stay at their house, has few leaves, receives a "salary" which is just a meager wage (only enough so she wouldn't be considered a slave in the technical sense of the world), to the point where her health declines and she develops a tumor which kills her. Her family once didn't see her for two years, and was continuously appalled by her treatment at their hands.]]]]

It spans from the mid nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, being separated in three parts.

* [[DramaticallyMissingThePoint Tragically Missing the Point: After Dr. Adolpho tells her to be careful with João and not try to change him, Damiana's internal monologue notes that while she recognized Adolpho cared about her, she would need to double her work on João.

* SubstituteParentalFigure: Umbelina for Anolina; José Hauçá for Firmino.
** Umbelina, Dasdô and Dona to young Damiana and Maria da Glória.

* TragicallyMissingThePoint: After Dr. Adolpho tells her to be careful with João and not try to change him, Damiana's internal monologue notes that while she recognized Adolpho cared about her, she would need to double her work on João.

* OldRetainer: Dodó becomes this to a branch of the Tosta family. [[spoiler: [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome they make her exhaust herself while working for them, suffering emotional abuse to stay at their house, has few leaves, receives a "salary" which is just a meager wage (only enough so she wouldn't be considered a slave in the technical sense of the world), to the point where her health declines and she develops a tumor which kills her. Her family once didn't see her for two years, and was continuously appalled by her treatment at their hands.]]]]
* OneSteveLimit: averted by the white families, with it being noted by the narrator that they tend to repeat names so everyone knows for sure to who they're related to. An example is Colonel Francisco, married to Carolina Tosta (his wife and niece) and their son, (eventually Colonel) Francisco, who gets married to Emilia Bandeira (or Iaiá Bandeira). Another is Maria da Conceição Tosta (or Maricota, the daughter of Iaiá Bandeira with Francisco) and two of her daughters: [[BilingualBonus Mary]] and Maria Auxiliadora.

** Averted by João Paulo and João Gulodice [[note]] Gluttony.[[/note]]
* OutlivingTheOffspring: [[spoiler: Damiana ends up having a longer life than Dodó.]]
* PrecisionFStrike: Josefa, while eating the sweets Martha brought her. Although Josefa generally CursesLikeASailor anyway.

* RedOniBlueOni: Martha and Adônis switch between these in their lives. At first, Adônis wants to fight nail and tooth for the slaves' liberation, while Martha doesn't think a lot will change. Then after the slavery (officially) ends, Adônis insists on staying away from the capital and taking care of his farm (still on his ex-masters' land) while Martha wants to explore everything the capital has, working at her pace. Their uncompromising natures make it impossible to reconcile and they separate.
* RiddleForTheAges: just what did Shango (while on Martha's body) said to João Paulo to make him compliant? (For a time, at least). Martha doesn't remember anything and Regina (their neighbor) and João Paulo don't want to say anything.

* Good parents: Anolina, although tough, works hard to provide for her and Martha.

* MeaningfulRename: Akin gets renamed by a priest to Firmino when he arrives in Brazil. He only finds out that his name came from Latin and meant strong decades later, due to another priest Samuel. His new name was chosen in reference to his great physical strength, but also comes to mean his great resilience.

* LukeIMightBeYourFather: Colonel Francisco makes Anolina his sexual slave for a time, the briefly stops when he gets married. In this meantime, Anolina falls in love with Alexandre (who, to complicate things further, is the son of the Colonel's father, also named Francisco, with one of his slaves), the caretaker of the house's horses. They start dating, and the Colonel starts abusing her again. Anolina then gets pregnant and nobody is sure of the kid's father. Although she considers it to be Alexandre, she knows it's a 50/50 chance.
* MamasBabyDaddysMaybe: Martha, Anolina's daughter with either Alexandre the horse caretaker or Francisco, the Colonel's son (who eventually also becomes Colonel Francisco). [[spoiler: Martha doesn't find out that the Colonel might be her father until she hears Maricota and her mother, Emilia, arguing. Maricota then starts to say her father had various lovers and didn't leave out Anolina. Emilia [[DopeSlap then slaps her across the face]]]].

** Colonel Francisco and Iaiá Bandeira had seven kids.

** Martha also works hard to support Damiana and Maria da Glória, even managing to send Damiana to school. She also saves a lot of money in jewelry to pay for her granddaughter's education [[spoiler:(it's a pity that João Paulo steals all of it when he finds out)]].

* GratuitousForeignLanguage: A few words are written in Yorubá at the first part.

* HistoryRepeats: Celina has an unhappy marriage with Maneca, just like her parents, Damiana and João Paulo.
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Josefa. She quickly becomes friends with Martha, doing her daughter's hair and quickly telling her to be careful with João Paulo.

* ImpoverishedPatrician: with the end of slavery in Brazil, the decline of the sugarcane plantations and the end of the Brazilian empire, the Tosta family starts to lose their riches and privileges. They'd never admit it, though.

* InVinoVeritas : mentioned in universe as being Angela's belief when she catches her husband muttering Isabel's name while sleeping after drinking.

* Generational saga: Oh yeah.
* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Averted by Anolina, who, after getting raped by Francisco many times, ends up pregnant and drinks an abortion-inducing tea. (although she loses a lot of blood and almost dies).

* Determinator: Damiana, who inherited it from Martha. Damiana decided one day that no one after her would need to be a washerwoman to survive, she then worked double with Martha so her daughter would be able to attend a school
* The Dreaded: Dona Joanna and her oldest son, Manuel. The latter due to his iron fist as a government official, ending revolts easily, the first due to her cruelty to her slaves.
** Moreno, the foreman.

* ElementalMotifs/MythologicalMotifs: Rain and storms (and sometimes fire) appear in the novel to mark important events, such as Anolina being born during a soft rain [[spoiler: and the second Roberto dying during a storm]]. The rain, the storms and the fire are associated with the orisha Xangô/Shango, which is said to be the family's protector, as their original surname while in Africa was Shangokunle.

* AcheyScar: Firmino gets one on his left leg after being hit by a spear during the Triple Alliance War.

* [[CruelMercy CruelAndUnusualPunishment]]: Joanna Tosta punishes a slave who wouldn't follow in her prayers by cutting out her tongue. She then says she'll leave her alive as a testament to God.

* DeathByChildbirth: Ewa Oluwa dies giving birth to Anolina.

* CruelAndUnusualPunishment: Joanna Tosta punishes a slave who wouldn't follow in her prayers by cutting out her tongue.

* AchingScars: Firmino gets one on his left leg after being hit by a spear during the Triple alliance war.

* BlindFury: After knowing [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil what Moreno did to Isabel]], he goes straight to him and almost beats him up, only stopping after José Hauçá gets between them.
** After one of the freedmen call Moreno due to a land dispute with other freedmen, including Firmino, they fight again and the same blind fury appears. They only stop fighting after two freedmen come to take Firmino away.

* CagedBirdMetaphor: Adônis tries to use this to convince Dodó to leave the Tosta house. It doesn't work.