mayombe is a book by Angolan writer Pepetela. It tells the stories of guerrillas gathered at a base in the Mayombe forest. Coming from different tribes, they unite to fight the tugas, that is, the Portuguese, who seek to maintain their dominance over the country.
In the midst of war, there is room for political reflections and also for the feeling of love. So the romance, first published in 1980, presents an anti-colonial character and it also shows the internal conflicts between the different Angolan tribes, which are responsible for the cultural diversity of the country.
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work summary mayombe
Novel belonging to contemporary Angolan literature.
Its author is the writer and ex-guerrilla Pepetela.
Historical context: Angola's War of Independence.
It tells the story of guerrillas at a base in the Mayombe forest.
It presents elements of the Angolan culture and the conflict between tribes.
Video lesson with the literary analysis of mayombe
Analysis of the work mayombe
Characters of the work mayombe
- Guerrillas:
Head of Operations;
Head of Warehouse;
Political Commissioner;
Ekuikui: the hunter of Bié;
Tuga's ingratitude;
Kiluanje;
We fight;
Miracle;
Muatianvua;
New world;
Pangu-Akitina: the nurse;
Without fear;
Theory: the teacher;
Truth;
Vewe: the tortoise.
- Andrew.
- Kandimba.
- Leli: beloved of Fearless.
- Manuela: beloved of Theory.
- Ondine: Commissioner's fiancee.
construction time mayombe
THE narrative takes place during the Angolan War of Independence. At first, therefore, sometime between 1961 and 1974. However, the Fearless character mentions his trip to Europe in 1962 and his return to the guerrillas in 1964. Finally, in the epilogue, we have the account of the last narrator - the Political Commissioner -, signed in Dolisie, in 1971.
construction space mayombe
The action takes place mainly in the Mayombe forest, where the rebel group fighting for Angola's independence is based, but also in the city of Dolisie, located in Congo.
plot of the work mayombe
Some guerrillas are at a camp in the Mayombe forest. Then, the Theory character assumes the role of narrator and describes himself to the reader. Next, the main narrator talks about the state of the teacher, who is injured, but insists on continuing.
Theory speaks of Manuela, whom he renounced, and also exposes his social condition as a mixed-race man: “I was still a child, I wanted to be white, so that whites wouldn't call me black. Man, I wanted to be black, so that black people wouldn't hate me. Where am I then?”.
The main narrator informs us about the ethnic diversity of the guerrillas: the Commander is Kikongo; and the Commissar, Kimbundu. Besides them, there are also Cabindas, Lundas, Umbundos and Lumpens. And again, Theory assumes the role of narrator to explain that his knowledge led him to be named “Teacher of the Base”.
The main narrator narrates a discussion among the guerrillas about the importance of politicizing workers. The rebels are also planning military action to fight the (Portuguese) tugas. Thus, the guerrillas imprison some workers and seek information about the barracks. The plan is to follow the path of the Congo, free the workers and return to surprise the tugas.
As a result, the Commissioner tries to politicize the workers; Miracle takes the narrative and exposes its view on the rivalry between the tribes; the plan is put into practice so that the tugas are caught off guard; and, finally, Ungrateful, accused of theft, is tried by the guerrillas and sentenced to six months in prison.
Then, the main narrator tells the story of the guerrilla base, built in Mayombe. He reports that eight young guerrillas — including Vewê — arrived at the base three days after the mission against the tugas and allows Mundo Novo to command the narrative and expose its critical thoughts in relation to the Commander.
The situation at the Base is critical, as the food runs out, which creates an atmosphere of revolt among the combatants. However, the Operations Chief brings the refueling, much to everyone's delight. And it also brings the news that comrade André and comrade Ondina were “caught in the grass”, that is, they had a sexual relationship.
The Commissar then goes to Dolisie. He and Ondina talk and settle down. Later, the narrator gives voice to André, who is “on his way to exile” in Brazzaville, by decision of the Board. In the sequence, the main narrator informs us about the escape of Ungrateful Tuga.
Some time later, there is a love affair between Ondine and Fearless, after she and the Commissioner end their relationship. Then, the Base is invaded, and Vewê goes to Dolisie to call Fearless, who takes reinforcements. However, when they arrive, Fearless and the others discover that the Base was not actually attacked by the tugas.
What happened was that Theory saw a surucucu and, frightened, gave “a burst and then another”. As Vewê heard shouting “take them alive”, when in fact the Commissar was shouting “take the shelters”, the young guerrilla concluded that it was an attack by the tugas and ran to get help from Dolisie.
At the end of the novel, Fearless returns to Dolisie to say goodbye to Ondina, as he will be transferred, and returns for his last operation in Mayombe. So, Lutamos takes over the narrative and tells them that the next day they will move to Pau Caído, occupied by the tugas. Then the main narrator takes the floor and narrates the combat.
narrator of the work mayombe
The work mayombe has some narrators. Chief among them is an observer-narrator, who at times becomes omniscient. He shares the task of narrating with the following narrators-characters: Theory, Miracle, Mundo Novo, Muatiânvua, André, Depot Chief, Operations Chief, Struggle and the Political Commissioner.
Characteristics of the work mayombe
The romance mayombe, published in 1980, is divided into five chapters:
The mission
The base
undine
the surucucu
the mulberry tree
It also has an epilogue, where the narrator identifies himself as “The Political Commissioner”. Thus, this work of contemporary Angolan literature shows the political engagement of its author, who uses his narrators to carry out a sociopolitical critique of the country.
It is possible, therefore, to perceive the critical nationalism in this historical fiction, which realistically presents an anti-colonial vision, in addition to valuing identity national, formed by the cultural diversity of the Angolan people, who, for many years, were under the control of Portugal.
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Importance of the Mayombe Forest in the work
The Mayombe Forest she can also be considered a character in the novel.. Perhaps she is the great protagonist, as she gives the book its name. Thus, she is personified by the narrator:
the mayombe had accepted the blows of the axes, which opened a clearing in it. Invisible clearing from above, from the planes that scanned the forest, trying to locate the presence of the guerrillas in it. The houses had been raised in this clearing and the trees, happily, formed a vault of branches and leaves to cover them. [...]. And the men, dressed in green, became green like leaves and brown like colossal trunks.
In this way, the guerrillas and the forest end up becoming one and the same, since Mayombe is described as a protective space, that allows the rebels to hide and organize for the fight. It's as if African nature itself was fighting Portuguese domination:
There was a lack of food and the forest created the “communes”, dried fruits, large almonds, whose seeds were broken with a knife and were eaten raw or roasted. The “communes” were for food, had oil and proteins, gave energy, that's why they were called “communes”. And the place where the fruits were stored and roasted was called the “Party House”. “Communism” made men fat, made them recover from the seven days of forced marches and emotions. [...]. And the guerrillas realized then that the god-Mayombe indicated to them as soon as there was his tribute to the courage of those who challenged him: Zeus bowed to Prometheus, Zeus concerned with the safeguarding of Prometheus, regretting having fettered him, now sending the eagle, not to pierce his liver, but to the help.
Pepetela, the author of mayombe
Pepetela (Artur Carlos Maurício Pestana dos Santos) was born on October 29, 1941, in the city of Benguela, Angola. In 1958, he went to live in Portugal. In that country, he studied at the Instituto Superior Técnico and the University of Lisbon. But the writer was an anti-colonialist and antifascist, so that he refused to enlist in the Portuguese army.
Thus, he lived for six months in France, before taking up residence in Algeria, where he graduated in sociology. Later, the novelist, affiliated with the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, became a guerrilla and fought during the years 1969 to 1974, a period in which it received its war name: Pepetela (“pestana”, in the Bantu language).
Once Angola's independence was achieved, the writer, between 1975 and 1982, held the position of deputy minister of Education. He then started working at the University of Luanda as a professor of sociology. In 1997, received the Camões Award, considered the most important tribute to Portuguese-speaking authors. To learn more about the author, read: Pepetela.
Historical context of mayombe
The Angola Africans United Struggle Party (PLUA) was created in 1953. Then, in 1956, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) of Marxist ideology. Other movements fighting for independence were also created.
THE war of independence it began in 1961, when members of the MPLA invaded Luanda jails with the intention of freeing political prisoners. The armed struggle only ended in 1974, the year in which Portuguese troops left the country. And, in 1975, Portugal signed the Alvor Agreement.
This agreement started a transitional government, formed by activists from Angolan movements and members of the Portuguese government. And when the MPLA, that same year, proclaimed the country's independence, but without the participation of other movements, a civil war broke out in Angola.
Image creditss
[1] Editor Leya (reproduction)
[2] Wikimedia Commons (reproduction)
by Warley Souza
Literature teacher
