Os anões e os mendigos: um romance à clef distópico? = Os anões e os mendigos: a novel à clef dystopian?

Abstract

The article considers the novel Os anões e os mendigos (1984), by the Angolan writer Manuel dos Santos Lima, discussing the possibility of being a dystopian novel à clef. The author argues that, despite the possibility of approaching spaces, characters and action from figures and facts of the recent history of Angola, the book has an allegorical dimension partly resulting from the use of the biblical text which guarantees a wider reach. On the other hand, maintains that the various signs of dystopia occurring in the novel are not enough so it can be classified in that category.