The Brazilian Academy of Letters emerged as an environment resistant to the presence of women. Although it was unthinkable during its first eighty years of existence, the question of "feminine eligibility" did make the agenda of some of the academic sessions. The present article seeks to shed light on this issue by taking a backstage look at two key episodes, from 1911 and 1930, respectively: the consideration of the philologist Carolina Michaëlis as a candidate to the board of non-effective members of the House of Machado de Assis and the official candidacy of Amélia Beviláqua, the first woman to vie for a seat among the effective members of the academy.
Sociology of Culture; Carolina Michaëlis; Amélia Beviláqua; Brazilian Academy of Letters; Feminine eligibility
