Between commitment and detachment : the dilemma of writer Germano Almeida in the post-colonial society of Cape Verde ; Entre engagement et distanciation : le dilemme d'un écrivain, Germano Almeida, dans la société post-coloniale du Cap-Vert ; Entre compromisso e distanciamento : o dilema de um escritor, Germano Almeida, na sociedade pós-colonial de Cabo Verde

Abstract

This thesis intends to examine the inevitably precarious stances that the writer Germano Almeida constantly seeks out within Cape Verdean society. Starting from the premise that by definition literary expression constitutes a reflection on its own existence within the fictional universe it creates, this study intends, first, to illustrate how Germano Almeida, through his scenography, manages to position his work both within the power structure and on the literary scene of Cape Verde. The first part of the analysis focuses on the special relationship between literature and politics in both colonial and post-colonial society, the inclusion of humor and irony in scholarly literature, the conflict that arises between a well-established oral tradition and actual writing with the latter playing a singular role within a highly differentiated bilingual society. Lastly, the gap between the expected and the real reactions to Almeida's work is examined. The second part of the analysis illustrates Germano Almeida's desire to participate actively in shaping Cape Verdean society. If Almeida's first fictions systematically deconstruct traditional representations of a rural and cohesive Creole society, more recent works definitely depict the traits of a primarily urban society that is forced to constantly deal with contingencies. The third part of this study highlights Almeida's constant desire to place the diversity of Creole experiences on a time continuum that not only gives meaning to the past but also provides greater command of the future and the possibility to thus avoid the danger of grotesquely repeating history. In the end, the study of these time-space configurations makes it obvious that their author sees himself not only as a full member of Cape Verdean society but also as an objective, and therefore, informed observer. ; Cette thèse a pour ambition d'interroger les positions inévitablement instables que ne cesse de briguer l'écrivain Germano Almeida au sein de la société capverdienne. Partant du principe que ...