Representations of the Cape Verdean diaspora: the work of Orlanda Amarílis

Abstract

Orlanda Amarílis, the first female Cape Verdean writer with published work, devoted her literary production to the diasporic representation of the archipelago, focusing on feminine viewpoints.
Her three collections of short stories – Cais-do-Sodré té Salamansa (1974), Ilhéu dos Pássaros (1983), and Casa dos Mastros (1989) – examine the forced emigration of Cape Verdean women in colonial and post-colonial times.
The main purposes of this essay are: 1) To identify the concepts of travel and migration proposed by the narrator in her short stories; 2) To explain their most significant intertextualities; 3) To show that Orlanda Amarilis’ short stories are a very relevant vision about Cape Verdean diaspora.