DecliNation of semantic spaces in As Duas Sombras do Rio by João Paulo Borges Coelho

Resumen

The cultural heterogeneity of many African countries in post-colonial times makes it difficult to create a sense of national belonging. For this reason, the FRELIMO government in Mozambique focused on the devaluation of culture-spe cific traditions with the aim of homogenizing and “modernizing” the nation. Against this background, the novel As duas Sombras do Rio by João Paulo Borges Coelho deals with the loss of identity and the feeling of being uprooted. The aim of the present article is to examine the representation of nation building in the novel us ing Lotman’s concept of semantic spaces.