Esta pesquisa trata da escravidão no Maranhão e sobre as representações da escravidão e das mulheres no século XIX pela escritora maranhense Maria Firmina dos Reis. Trabalhando a partir dos textos literários da autora, o romance Úrsula de 1859, o conto Gupeva de 1861, o conto A Escrava de 1887, buscamos compreender como Maria Firmina dos Reis representou e compreendeu o mundo dos cativos e das mulheres da segunda metade do século XIX no Maranhão. Também utilizamos jornais do período para poder captar a atmosfera cultural na qual Maria Firmina dos Reis esteve inserida.

This research aims to investigate the slavery in Maranhão Sate, moreover the representations of slavery and women in the nineteenth century by the writer that was born in that State, Maria Firmina of Reis. We are using the literary texts of the author, the novel Úrsula of 1859, the tale Gupeva of 1861 and the tale named Escrava, of 1887. We are interested to understand how Firmina Maria dos Reis represented and understood herself the world of captives and women of the second half of the century nineteenth in Maranhão State. Finally, we also use as source of research, the newspapers of the period in order to capture the cultural atmosphere in which was inserted Firmina Maria dos Reis.