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The Construction of Power in Angola in Pepetela’s Novels: the New Rich and the Appropriation of the State in the Post-Independence Period

ABSTRACT

In the article I analyze the power relations built between the State and society in Angola after the country’s independence in 1975, based on its ambivalences and accommodation of interests. I argue that there was the construction of a political structure in which the State/MPLA became the main means for the distribution of benefits and privileges, contributing to the strengthening of an authoritarian and patrimonialist political structure over the years. By highlighting a scenario of authoritarianism, clientelism and patrimonialism, Pepetela’s novels and the construction of his characters dialogue with a critical narrative about the political project adopted by the Angolan State.

Keywords:
Angola; Pepetela; State and society

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