Connecting Characters, Revealing Genders: A Computational Analysis of Portuguese Literature

• Bárbara Duarte UFMG http://orcid.org/0009-0004-3819-6130
• Gabriella L. Araujo UFMG
• Marcele Araponga UFMG
• Mariana O. Silva UFMG http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0110-9924
• Michele A. Brandão UFMG http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7808-9357
• Mirella M. Moro UFMG http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0545-2001

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/brasnam.2026.23811

Abstract

Gender representation in literary pieces is fundamental for understanding how narratives reflect social norms. This study investigates gender dynamics in Portuguese-language literature through two analyses. By using 551 works from the 18th to 20th centuries, we model character relationships as co-occurrence networks, revealing structural gender imbalance: male-male interactions dominate, and male characters tend to exhibit higher agency. Through an author-gender-balanced corpus of 58 works, we show that the author’s gender significantly shapes character representation: male authors construct male-dominated networks, while female authors create more balanced ones.

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