Summary

“Without Regret or Virtue” begins with Dores’s titular song lyrics about a sexual encounter. Chapter 11 begins with Dores reflecting on the nature of memory, and how Vinicius lost his in his old age. She remembers bringing Vinicius to the movies to comfort him, bringing them back to the year 1940, when they went to the movies almost daily. Cinema was then a way to influence public opinion of political and national matters. The American film industry was looking to integrate South American talent in their films to further their political agenda. When Vinicius panicked from memory loss in the theater one day, Dores sang him “Without Regret or Virtue,” a song they composed together in 1940, and he came back to her.

Chapter 12 began with Dores reflecting on how Senhor Pimentel’s arrival in Lapa began the group’s downfall. Graça allowed him to...