Micro-universes and Situated Critical Theory: Postcolonial and Feminist Dialogues in a Comparative Study of Indo-English and Lusophone Women Writers

Abstract

This dissertation studies six texts written by women (three Indo-English novels, a novel and an anthology of short stories from Cape Verde and a novel from Mozambique). The three Lusophone texts (literature written in Portuguese, though it is not Portuguese literature) are compared to the Indo-English texts in order to assess different evolutions in the sense of national identity in these postcolonial contexts, concerning: . post-independence senses of history and identity, . revision of colonial mythologies, . self-assertion in relation to the colonial past and current neo-colonial threats, . social critique concerning the crisis or weaknesses of the postcolonial state, . alternative agendas to manage a functional sense of self in dialogue with situated, and complex, historical and political contexts. In the chosen texts, the represented frames of collective identity are felt as oppressive forces or problematic references, with damaging consequences in the development of individual identities. As the reader follows individual characters in their process of self-definition, a sense of post-independence crisis is exposed, and a stern social critique carried out, reflecting on past and present international relations, as well. The particular perspective offered by women writers represents "the nation" as a set of particular socio-cultural discourses, entwined with patterns of family organisation, the definition of dominant mentalities concerning gender roles and the perpetuation of normative life styles. While analysing the postcolonial condition of their societies, these writers have also created a set of women characters, situated in different postcolonial contexts, cultures and social classes, which are models of dissent, suggesting alternative feminist agendas, suitable to each of these situated societies. The study of the work of these writers proved the necessity of diverse feminist theories and agendas, sensitive to differences between women, integrated in historical geo-cultural universes. Furthermore, the developed approach demonstrated the worth of a feminist study to discuss and revise models of collective identity criss-crossing with the critical assessment of current postcolonial societies. Finally, this research tried to promote Lusophone literatures (by comparing them to such an established case as Indo-English literature) and map a small genealogy of women s writing in world literatures.