O que a telenovela nos faz ver: a representação da deficiência visual a partir de Maíra em "Todas as Flores"

Abstract

This paper analyzes the representation of visual impairment in the Rede Globo telenovela Todas as Flores (2022), based on the trajectory of the character Maíra, with the objective of understanding how the narrative constructs meanings regarding blindness and mobilizes stereotypes historically associated with visually impaired people. Grounded in Stuart Hall’s representation studies, Patricia Hill Collins’ concepts of controlling images and axes of resistance, and contributions regarding disability and teledramaturgy, this research adopts a qualitative and analytical approach. It utilizes Souza’s (2021) Analysis of Representativeness (Análise da Representatividade), based on the selection of central narrative events from the protagonist’s arc. The character is examined through an adapted representativeness test, structured around the axes of self-definition, self-valuation, self-reliance, and collective empowerment. The results indicate that, although the work represents a symbolic milestone by placing a visually impaired woman at the center of the narrative, Maíra’s blindness is frequently mobilized as a melodramatic device. It is associated with vulnerability, tutelage, and the logic of overcoming (lógica da superação), reinforced by the partial recovery of her vision. It is concluded that the representation occupies an ambiguous position, challenging some controlling images but without fully breaking away from ableist patterns, as it fails to transform disability into a collective agenda or a critique of structural barriers