Subversão de estereótipos misóginos: representações de gênero em A sibila de Agustina Bessa-Luís

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the representations of gender and the deconstruction of misogyny in Agustina Bessa-Luís's A Sibila (2000), highlighting how the author breaks away from misogynistic stereotypes by portraying human complexity beyond traditional gender roles. The central hypothesis is that Agustina does not limit herself to representing stereotypical female or male figures but explores universal conflicts that transcend gender boundaries. In A Sibila, the protagonist Quina and other characters, such as Maria, Estina, Germa, Francisco Teixeira, Abel, and Custódio, are not defined by simplistic categories of "good" or "evil," but rather by their psychological and emotional nuances, which reflect purely human dilemmas. Thus, the work not only critiques social and gender structures but also redefines the representation of femininity, offering a multifaceted and deeply human perspective on its characters. This is a bibliographic and theoretical research project, situated within the field of Literary Studies, with an emphasis on the analysis of the characters Quina, Maria, Estina, Germa, Francisco Teixeira, and Custódio. From a critical-reflective perspective, the study seeks to identify how Agustina Bessa-Luís displaces traditional misogynistic discourses, promoting a re-signification of gender representations. To this end, we reference the misogynistic topoi outlined by Bloch (1995), contrasting them with Agustina's characters. We aim to confirm the hypothesis that the author, by portraying the human complexity of her characters, transcends misogynistic stereotypes and offers a critical and innovative view of gender relations, contributing to contemporary debates on literature and feminism. The analysis of A Sibila demonstrates that Agustina Bessa-Luís does not rely on stereotypical representations but instead constructs characters that challenge social and cultural expectations, offering new perspectives on femininity and expanding the interpretive possibilities of her literary work. In doing so, it is confirmed that Agustina's work not only questions misogyny but also proposes a broader and more humanized view of gender relations, reaffirming its relevance to literature and gender studies. For this purpose, we draw on studies by Pomeroy (1995), Bloch (1995), Butler (2017), Beauvoir (2016), Moisés (2013), Lourenço (1993; 1994), Décio (2001), Saraiva and Lopes (2008), Rio Novo (2019) and others.