Revisiting the creation of the feminist theory in Brazil through A mulher é uma degenerada, by Maria Lacerda de Moura

Abstract

One of the greatest representatives of the feminist literary criticism is Maria Lacerda de Moura. In her texts, it is possible to visualize the women’s condition in the 20th century, and the actions needed for the liberation from the moorings of patriarchy. These aspects can be seen in A Mulher é uma degenerada (1924), published in the ‘20s. The main objective of this analysis is to demonstrate the author’s vision about the women’s role and the way that bringing her literary production back contributes to the discussion about the memory of the feminist movement in the country. The theory that supports this study is centered on Walter Benjamin’s and Michel Foucault’s studies, among others. This study is justified by the need to review History and to demonstrate the silencing in official discourses, since it is noticeable that women’s fight for emancipation began much earlier than in the ‘70s, since Maria Lacerda de Moura was already raising the flag on women’s emancipation and equal rights between men and women. It is believed that by revisiting the feminist theory we contribute to the creation of a national memory around the fight for women’s rights.