Reféns da memória: a tentativa de construção da identidade através do apagamento da memória

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the literary text of two African contemporary authors: the novel O Vendedor de passados (2004), of the Angolan writer José Eduardo Agualusa and Antes de nascer o mundo (2009), of the Mozambican writer Mia Couto. Both novels develop narratives during the post-independence period and intent to observe the process of identity formation in this context. Therefore, we will concentrate how the characters Félix Ventura, of O Vendedor de passados and Silvestre Vitalício, of Antes de nascer o mundo, attempt to create a new identity through the memory extinguishment/oblivion. The strategy adopts for the characters they reflect the current moment what these countries face of total disregard with the historical memory, opting for the oblivion instead of confronting the traumas of the past, revealing, in this way, the present criticism in the works. However, this attempt of recommencing a life without past makes impossible, seeing that the memories always bring back.Besides, it is realized that the historical past makes part of the construction of the identity, in this way the authors use the history metafictionalization like resource to recount the history of his countries, making possible that these are not forgotten. Also, observe how the place, the home contributes in the formation of the identity and of the feeling of belonging to the space that the characters occupy, not only, in the physical aspect, but, especially, emotionally. This work tries to show how the literature produced by Angola and Mozambique, in this post-colonial context, plays the part of tool in the construction of the nation and since the authors intend in this process of construction of a sovereign nation.