Ritos de passagem: a memória, a identidade e o feminino em Ana Paula Tavares

Abstract

We propose to discuss the importance of collective memory and its relevance through an analysis of the Ritos de Passagem novel by the Angolan writer Ana Paula Tavares. We aim to understand how literature can contribute to the comprehension of social changes in times of crises and for the valuation of diverse identities. In this context, literature and theoretical conceptions of authors such as Inocência Mata (2007), Francisco Noa (2015), Pierre Bourdieu (2016), and Maurice Halbwachs (2006) play a fundamental role. Since literary works function as social mirrors, it leads us to question oppressive structures and find the path for understanding a more representative and inclusive collective memory. Ritos de Passagem offers a narrative about the construction of collective memory, its relationship with individual and social identity, and how the feminine memory is so representative and resistant in Angola’s society. The transgenerational narrative is reflected under the connection between individual and collective memory, showing how past experiences impact the present. We conclude that the memory, the identity and the feminine are crucial to face challenges and that literature plays an important role in understanding social and cultural dynamics that emerge in times of crises.