The Lapse

In “The Lapse” by Machado de Assis, a group of desperate creditors consult Dr. Jeremias, a Dutch physician, about the behavior of a debtor, Tomé Gonçalves, who seems to have forgotten the notion of paying his debts. Jeremias diagnoses Tomé with a condition called “memory lapse” and reveals that there is a cure. The story explores the tension between creditors and debtors and the ironies of the human condition.