How did Lima Barreto criticize racial hierarchy in Brazilian society?

Afonso Henriques de Lima Barreto was a prominent Brazilian novelist and journalist whose work is recognized for its direct and aggressive critique of the social structures of his time. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Lima Barreto used his writing to document and oppose the racial hierarchy prevalent in Brazilian society.12

His opposition to these systemic inequalities is notably featured in his novel Vida e morte de M.J. Gonzaga de Sá (1919). Throughout his literary career, he employed techniques such as caricature, ridicule, and satire to challenge the status quo, including the political and social organization of the Brazilian First Republic. By depicting the lives of individuals struggling against mechanized urban society and institutional barriers, he highlighted the injustices faced by those marginalized by the nation's prevailing social order.21