Between memory and forgetfulness: the formation of identities in Nosso musseque and Veneno de Deus, remédios do diabo

Abstract

In the works Nosso musseque by Luandino Vieira, and Venenos de Deus, remédios do diabo by Mia Couto, are represented different moments in time of the nations of Angola and Mozambique. The first relates to events that occurred during the 1940s and 1950s, when Angola was still a Portuguese colony. The second alludes to events situated in the recent history of Mozambique. The purpose of this paper is to verify how fictional identities are formed in the novels in question, analyzing the extent to which they point – different historical conjunctures, from different countries, but with a common colonial past – to a national identity that is being formed. Our analysis is mainly based on the reflections of Stuart Hall and Michael Pollak about identity and in Paul Ricoeur in relation to the theme of forgetfulness. The results indicate that when literary writing is in tune with the discourse of liberation, Luandino’s text brings implied the role of memory as a means of preserving the past and tradition. Mia Couto's novel, on the other hand, while being a post-independence assessment suggests the importance of forgetfulness in the nation building.