A insurgência de mulheres no romance "Veromar", de Dina Salústio

Abstract

The literary work Veromar (2019), by Cape Verdean author Dina Salústio, invites reflection on themes within literary, cultural, and gender studies. Set in Veromar, a city without a sea, founded by homesick workers longing to see the ocean again, the narrative unfolds through the voice of a Latin teacher who tells the story to her students on a beach. The plot explores themes of belonging, longing, and insular identity, weaving the lives of the city’s residents, including three central students, Aurora, Simprónia, and Sofia, as well as figures like the Witch who adopts Simprónia, the priest, and Tixa, a student who takes her life in the sea after enduring continued family abuse. This study focuses on the images crafted by the narrative concerning gender dynamics within a patriarchal framework. The central thread of the research is the representation of female insurgency in the face of patriarchal violence. Our main objective is to analyze the condition and insurgent actions of women in Veromar, as well as the marks of patriarchy through the lens of literary, postcolonial, and gender criticism. Specific objectives include: a) investigating female conditions through the characters’ stories; b) identifying how elements of animist realism contribute to female resistance; and c) examining how the narrative reflects Cape Verde’s socio-historical and cultural context. The research draws on theorists such as Bonnici, Fonseca & Moreira, Hall, Bhabha, Crenshaw, Gomes, and others. We argue that Veromar highlights asymmetrical power and gender relations, while also challenging patriarchal hegemony. Literature thus emerges as a site of resistance, where both author and characters disrupt boundaries and reimagine collective possibilities for women confronting oppression.