Abstract
This collection of essays encompasses for the first time in a single volume articles on Portugal, Brazil, Angola and Cape Verde. An introductory section examines the changing roles of women since the nineteenth century in the context of Portuguese culture. Subsequent sections include both discussions of representations of women in the works of well-known male writers such as Machado de Assis and Juandino Vieira, as well as exciting new readings of several prominent women writers such as Florbela Esparica, Clarice Lispector and Maria Velho de Costa, among others. Several of the contributors draw on current feminist research and on insights from psychoanalytical and poststructuralist analyses. This wide range of critical approaches ensures that this volume fills a gap in Lusophone studies, casting new light on the recent history of women as cultural agents in Portuguese-speaking countries.