Breaking Free from the Other: An Exploration of Mangy-Dog from Honwana to Ondjaki

Zhixin Hou

doi:10.71204/prjkb904

Authors

Zhixin Hou University of Lisbon Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71204/prjkb904

Keywords:

Other, Mangy-Dog, Isaura, Trauma

Abstract

This article examines the roles of Mangy-Dog and Isaura in Honwana’s We Killed Mangy-Dog and Ondjaki’s Não Choramos pelo Cão Tinhoso (We Don't Cry for the Mangy-Dog) through the perspective of the Other, reflecting on the enduring effects of colonial oppression and the trauma of inferiority. In both stories, Mangy-Dog and Isaura are symbolically linked by their shared status as marginalized figures, viewed as societal outcasts and defined as the Other. Honwana portrays the killing of Mangy-Dog as resistance to colonial violence, while Ondjaki reimagines the story, emphasizing the enduring trauma of colonialism on individuals and collective memory. Drawing from postcolonial insights of Fanon, Said, and Spivak on the construction of the Other, the article suggests that recognizing this trauma associated with the Other and understanding its lasting effects can help challenge this mindset, offering a potential path for resistance and transformation.

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