The collective construction of masculinities in the short story “Nós matamos o cão tinhoso”, by Luís Bernardo Honwana

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the collective performative representations of masculinities in the emblematic tale of the Mozambican author Luís Bernardo Honwana, “Nós matamos o cão tinhoso”, a text that is part of the book of the same name published in 1964 and considered the landmark of modern Mozambican prose. In order to analyze the male performances present in this story, I start from the principle that there is a construction in the social imaginary that defines the forms of hegemonic masculinities (Connell) which will be performed individually or preferably in a group (Butler), generally based on the naturalization of violence and aggressiveness (Welzer-Lang) as social legitimation and differentiation of the feminine model of behavior (Welzer-Lang), whose representations will be evidenced in the analysis of the aforementioned story. In line with Welzer-Lang, the Portuguese sociologist Sofia Aboim believes that masculinity(ies) is observed as a relationship of double domination: “that of masculinity over the others.” (Aboim, 2008, p. 274). In this way, the study will be developed in order to demonstrate the different forms of oppression present in the heteronormative performance of masculinity present in Hownana’s text, as well as its consequences in the actions of the characters analyzed.