When do you tell this one? – Relations between short story and history in “Quem manda aqui?”, by Paulina Chiziane

Abstract

It is intended to discuss the gaps between historic and poetic elements in short stories, namely “Quem manda aqui?”, written by Mozambican Paulina Chiziane. The analysed object, written in 2013, focus on a people’s revolution against emperor Ngununhana’s purposes, figured in his generals. This colonial short story has the History as a horizon, according to Chiziane’s position on contemporary Mozambican fiction. However, considering short story form, the extent limitation cannot be overlooked. The understanding of Mozambican short story and Lukacs’ theories of novel and historical novel are the key to deepen this question and to think about the phenomenon in spite of the border, even though thin, between modern genres, and also about the historical movement which resulted on Chiziane’s work.