Heroines from Espírito Santo in soap operas (1974-2024): cloisters, motherhood and melodrama

Abstract

This paper presents a discussion about the beginning of the trajectory of three migrant characters and mothers related to the state of Espírito Santo in the soap operas O Espigão (1974), Paraíso Tropical (2007) and A Dona do Pedaço (2019), in light of the melodrama and women social captivity described by Manuela Lagarde Y de Los Ríos (2005), focusing on her reflection on motherhood. In O Espigão (1974), a solution is sought for Dora's subsistence, either by becoming a wife or giving up her son for adoption. In Paraíso Tropical (2007) and A Dona do Pedaço (2019), Lúcia and Maria da Paz did not have the same financial difficulties highlighted, signaling a change in the presentation of the conflict in the current context.