emember the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo and also the lesser known political capital city of Brasilia. But Bahia does provide the backdrop against which Ilhi¿½ians measure their progress. Presumably, thought it is left for the reader of the novel to discern, Ilhi¿½us, is a town that originally never was. It was created by the removal of the virginal, Amazonian rainforests in order to make way for cacao plantations to meet the growing demand for chocolate in developed parts of the world. The quest for cacao and land that cultivated it and the greed for the revenue it might generate, much like the frontiersman during the long-defunct California Gold Rush, gave rise to i¿½Colonels.i¿½ These soldiers of fortune were far removed from an actual, disciplined standing army that one associates the name colonel with. But they were associated with bloodshed as they sought to usurp land (that was owned by others or virginal) and create their own domains.
             During the early part of the creation of Ilhi¿½us, until the establishment of strongholds of the landowners, life was filled with strife. Killing other prospective rival landowners through ambushes was not uncommon. By the end of the novel, however, civic mindedness and civility become the order of the day (391). Those that would seek to resort to violence, and in a few circumstances do that, eschew bloodshed for a handshake and by resorting to diplomacy.
             As for the physical geography of the place, Ilhi¿½us stands as the last frontier or a point of transition between the civilization of Bahia and the untapped, wild rainforests. The cosmopolitan cities of Sao Paolo and Rio are very far removed from the consciousness of local Ilhi¿½ans to be viewed as almost foreign. Ilhi¿½us has a sister city of Itabuna and some other cities which also mark the physical frontier. In terms of natural geography, the climate and the soil is perfect for the growth and developmen...