Perfis femininos em Senhora e Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas

Abstract

This work, based on the studies of Afrânio Coutinho (2002), Alfredo Bosi (1994), Mary Del Priore (2011), Gilberto Freyre (1994), Luis Felipe Ribeiro (1996) and Roberto Schwarz (1990), among others, tries to analyze the differences between the female characters in the novels Senhora e Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas written by José de Alencar and Machado de Assis respectivelly, emphasizing the characters. Aurélia, Dona Emília e Dona Eusébia in the first narrative and Marcela, Eugênia and Vírgilia in the second. The work intends to identify how much Aurélia breaks with the society patterns of her time, analyzing her under the same Vírgilia’s point of view, since both women belong to bourgeois social spheres. Besides, This work analyzes the theme of luxury prostitution represented by character, as well as the tolerance limit established for this type of sexual activity at the time. Also this article seeks to identify the problems of social interaction arising of poverty, once the representative characters from the popular classes would be subjected to all sorts of abasement that same world and, as well as to draw these women’s profiles concerning their personalities and behaviors.