Benedita Pinto Character Analysis in The Female Persuasion

Cory Pinto’s mother, Benedita, is a kindly woman who works as a house cleaner. Her life dramatically when she runs over her youngest son, Alby, while backing her car out of the driveway. After the tragic accident, Benedita’s husband, Duarte, leaves her and returns to Portugal. Overwhelmed by her loss, Benedita becomes deeply depressed to the point of psychosis and becomes entirely reliant on Cory to support her, care for her, and pick up the pieces of her shattered life.

Benedita Pinto Character Timeline in The Female Persuasion

The timeline below shows where the character Benedita Pinto appears in The Female Persuasion. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Sociopolitical Power vs. Personal Fortitude Theme Icon

...are better, though he is still occasionally ashamed by his parents’ working-class occupations: his mother, Benedita, is a housecleaner and his father, Duarte, is an upholsterer. Cory tells Greer about a... (full context)

When Cory goes upstairs, his mother, Benedita, is in bed with all the shades closed. She can barely even lift her head.... (full context)

At Alby’s funeral, Benedita faints at the grave, and Duarte begrudgingly helps her to her feet. The two of... (full context)

One morning, Benedita comes downstairs covered in scratch marks. She tells Cory that Alby’s spirit wants for her... (full context)

Cory calls his father to let him know that Alby’s death had not been Benedita’s fault—Alby had been lying on the ground studying Slowy. This news does not change Duarte’s... (full context)

One day, a woman calls the house asking for Benedita. The woman, one of Benedita’s clients, is a professor who has been out of town... (full context)

...convince Cory to come to New York for a visit, but Cory refuses to leave Benedita in anyone else’s care. As Greer sits with Cory in his living room, she asks... (full context)

...where a player tries to find the person they have lost. Cory tells Greer that Benedita is doing well, and things in the house are calm and stable. Greer asks Cory... (full context)

...a month, until one night, while Cory and Kristin were lying naked in Cory’s room, Benedita opened the door and announced that she was constipated and needed medicine. Kristin, disgusted by... (full context)

Female Friendship and Mentorship Theme Icon

One morning, as Cory is about to head out to clean houses, Benedita meets him in the kitchen, dressed and ready to go. She asks if she can... (full context)

...cleaning houses together becomes a ritual. One day, his mother’s social worker sits Cory and Benedita down together and reveals that Benedita wants more independence. Benedita tells Cory that she wants... (full context)

...rather than using it to renovate their home, they have been sending the money to Benedita and Greer’s parents. Though SoulFinder was not a financial success, it was a critical one.... (full context)