Identidade feminina nos romances de Manoel de Oliveira Paiva

Abstract

This study, bibliographic in nature, analyzes the construction of female identity in the novels Dona Guidinha do Poço (1952) and A afilhada (1961), written by the Ceará-born author Manoel de Oliveira Paiva. The research seeks to contribute to the expansion of the critical scholarship devoted to the writer and his work, which remain relatively underexplored within literary studies, especially regarding the second novel. To this end, the study presents an overview of Oliveira Paiva’s intellectual trajectory and the reception of his literary production over time, while also discussing the relevance of Lúcia Miguel Pereira, whose role was decisive in the recovery and dissemination of the author’s work. In order to contextualize the representation of the female characters, a brief panorama of women’s living conditions in the nineteenth century —the historical period in which the novels are set— is presented, emphasizing the social distinctions imposed upon women of different classes and environments, both urban and rural. The analysis of the characters adopts a comparative method, establishing parallels between female figures from the two novels: Fabiana and Margarida; Eulália and Maria das Dores; Antônia and Corumba. The discussions aim to understand how these characters either conform to or deviate from the expectations imposed by the patriarchal society of their time. Following the identification of the female figures, the study applies Roberto Reis’s core and nebulous theory in order to situate the characters within their respective social spaces and to examine the power dynamics that shape their experiences. In addition to other scholars, this research draws upon the theoretical perspectives of Michelle Perrot, Lúcia Miguel Pereira, Antonio Candido, José Ramos Tinhorão, and Roberto Reis. The analysis concludes that, in both of Oliveira Paiva’s novels, female characters are constructed according to a narrative logic that exposes the socially imposed role of women as subjects subordinated to the patriarchal structures and values of the period. This process of subjugation, however, manifests differently depending on each character’s social, economic, and cultural context, resulting in distinct configurations. Although some characters achieve a degree of agency and voice within the still-prevailing patriarchal order, most remain confined to marginalization and silencing within the social spaces they inhabit.