BRAZILIAN WOMANHOOD IN THE PRIME TIME TELENOVELA: A textual analysis of Aguinaldo Silva?s "Senhora do Destino" - Tapa blanda

For nine months during the year 2005 forty five million Brazilian viewers tuned in to TV Globo every night to watch the telenovela 'Senhora do Destino'. Telenovelas are the most popular television program in that country and are exported to more than 140 countries worldwide. The textual analysis of 'Senhora' demonstrates how Brazilian writers and producers use the narrative and popularity of telenovelas to construct a Brazilian female identity, while at the same time offering an opportunity to empower women.

Samantha Joyce is a journalist from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She has a Masters degree in Radio and Broadcasting from San Francisco State University and is currently an instructor in the Communication Studies Department at the University of Iowa, where she is pursuing a Doctorate degree in Media Studies.