Mozambican Woman between Tradition and Modernity:

The Patriarchal Legacy and the Struggle for Empowerment in a Story of Polygamy by Paulina Chiziane

Abstract

Ubuntu interculturality, deeply rooted in African communities, constitutes one of the pillars of Mozambican identity by articulating collective belonging, solidarity, and shared historical memory. This article analyzes the representation of the Mozambican female condition in the work Niketche: Uma História de Poligamia by Paulina Chiziane, understanding literature as a space of symbolic elaboration that engages with social reality without being reduced to a mere reflection of it. From an interdisciplinary approach that integrates literature, anthropology, African philosophy, sociology, and gender studies, the study examines how the narrative critically problematizes categories such as tradition, modernity, patriarchy, and polygamy, understood as discursive constructions. It highlights the distinction between polygamy as a social institution and its literary representation, often associated with unequal power relations. Methodologically, Critical Discourse Analysis is employed, emphasizing literature as a producer of meaning. The article concludes that Niketche is a privileged space for reflection on gender, culture, and power in Mozambique.