Born a fully grown black man in a village in the Brazilian jungle, Macunaíma later magically transforms into a white man before making an adventure-filled trip to the city of São Paulo. Once there, he becomes something of a dandy, falling in love with Ci, a revolutionary who dies in an accidental bombing. After robbing a ruthless industrialist, Macunaima returns to his village where he finds his newly acquired knowledge and possessions of little use.

Doralice is a simple minded woman romantically fascinated by marriage. However, when she is raped by a butcher, a friend advises her to become a prostitute - and she does it. After that, all her wishes and longings will curl up into a fascinating vortex.

In colonial Brazil, boy is sent to live with some parents in a sugarcane plantation, after losing his mother. His adaptation will be difficult and painful. A young boy goes to live with his grandfather on a Brazilian plantation after his mother dies. Haunted by the memories of her violent death, the boy slowly adapts to his new surroundings until death, marriage, and the passage of time breaks up the family. Only when the boy is old enough to experience his first love does he leave to attend a city school.