O racismo como elemento estético na obra “Nós matamos o cão tinhoso” de Luís Bernardo Honwana

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze how racism is presented as an aesthetic element in the work Nós Matamos o Cão Tinhoso by Mozambican writer Luís Bernardo Honwana, using Antonio Candido's critical methodology. Drawing from Candido’s approach, which suggests a fusion between text and context, this research examines how racism is structured within the narrative, not just as a theme but as a formal component that organizes the work. To contextualize this analysis, the contributions of authors such as José Craveirinha, João Dias, and Noemia de Sousa are discussed, as their works helped lay the groundwork for the emergence of Mozambican literature focused on the denunciation of racial and colonial oppression. This study demonstrates that racism, rather than merely reflecting reality, acts as an aesthetic force shaping Honwana’s formal choices, embedding itself deeply in the literary structure of the work.