Author: Gordon, Maria da Conceição Lopes

Source: Portuguese Studies, Volume 25, Number 1, 15 March 2009 , pp. 65-79(15)

Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association

Abstract:

The title of Germano Almeida's novel O Testamento do Sr. Napumoceno da Silva Araújo suggests the importance of the male protagonist in the story. Through the latter's interaction with three female characters, `The (Un)holy Trinity', as depicted by those who knew him and in his posthumously disclosed notes, what emerges is a complex social portrayal of Cape Verde that, one may suggest, decentralizes Sr. Napumoceno's protagonism. This article aims to analyse those complexities in relation to women's standing in the patriarchal society of pre- and post-independence São Vicente and to explore what, if any, weapons of resistance they hold within a discourse that reflects the (apparent) male domination. The work of Almeida, an author heralded as one the chief literary voices of post-independence Cape Verdean literature, has, perhaps surprisingly, been largely bypassed by scholarly criticism. This article seeks to address this omission by making a contribution to the study of contemporary Cape Verdean literature.

Portuguese
O título do romance de Germano Almeida O Testamento do Sr. Napumoceno da Silva Araújo sugere a importância do protagonista do enredo. Através da interacção deste último com três personagens femininas, assim como é descrita pelos que conheciam o falecido e pelos seus diários que são revelados postumamente, surge um retrato social deveras complexo de Cabo Verde que poderá descentralizar o protagonismo do Sr. Napumoceno. Este artigo procura analisar esta complexidade no que respeita à posição da mulher na sociedade patriarcal de São Vicente, durante a pré e a pós-independência, e explorar qual - se de facto alguma - é a arma de resistência da mulher dentro de um discurso que reflecte o (aparente) domínio masculino. Salvo raras excepções, a obra de Almeida, um autor tido como uma das principais vozes da literatura Cabo-verdiana da pós-independência, tem sido surpreendentemente ignorada pela crítica. Este artigo busca colmatar esta lacuna, fazendo uma contribuição para o estudo da literatura contemporânea de Cabo Verde.

Keywords: Germano Almeida; Sr. Napumoceno; Cape Verde Islands; patriarchy; Germano Almeida; Sr. Napumoceno; Cabo Verde; patriarquia

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: University of Cambridge

Publication date: 2009-03-15

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• The only English-language journal devoted to the literature, culture, and history of Portugal, Brazil, and the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa. Launched in 1985, it received the 'Best New Journal Award' of the Conference of Editors of Learned Journals in 1987. It publishes articles, translations, previously unpublished historical and literary texts, bibliographical information, and a survey of research and reviews.

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