Moral e sedução: o discurso do judiciário nos processos de defloramento na comarca de Caxias do Sul - 1900-1950

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is trying to understand how women were judged by legal practitioners and the society of the city of Caxias do Sul, between 1900 and 1950, when they crossed the boundaries of the norms defined by the Penal Codes of 1890 and 1940, as well as by the Civil Code of 1916. In order to understand how these transgressions were judged, the discourses of all the characters involved have been analyzed, in the law suits involving deflowering, seduction and rape, with a greater emphasis on the discourse of the legal practitioners. So that this discourse might be better comprehended, it tries to identify the process of modernization and hygiene imposed by the Public Power in Caxias do Sul, during the period studied. The model of order and progress initiated in 1889 demanded that society was hygienic and normalized, especially in sexual intercourse and romantic relationships, directly linked to the family’s moral and honor. The discourse of the legal practitioners present in the lawsuits, allows it to identify the profile of men and women that infringed the norms, especially those related to sexuality. At this point, given the clues and indicia, it searches to infer about the range of the transgressive behavior of these women, given that they were responsible by the honor, the moral and honesty of the family.