The Ultimate Tragedy by Abdulai Sila translated from Portuguese by Jethro Soutra

 

The meeting between the colonizer and the colonized do have its own layer of humour. There is that encounter mediated by the lack of communication, different cultural codes, mistranslations that indulge hilarity. That´s what usually help the colonized to survive day after day the pressure of the coloniter.

The Ultimate Strategy - I didn´t research, but maybe the title is inspired by this quote by MLK Jr. : The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence - by Abdulai Sila, the creator of the modern novel in Guinea Bissau, translated from Portuguese by Jethro Soutra portrays the white man lost in its own endeavours, facing an increasing opposition from the local population, itself undergoing a dramatic shift at the level of mentalities and daily practices. Various Christian denominations - as Scolastique Mukasonga already wrote about it - in the case of the Portuguese colonies, the Catholic Church - did play an important role in performing the most important part of the colonisation, with effects visible until today.

Guinea Bissau gained independence from Portugal in 1973. The story is centered during the last decade before the independence. Ndani is the constant character of the story. She is first a housegirl that is brought to the church and ´emancipated´ by the illiterate wife of an equally illiterate colonizer, afterwards a Regulo´s - chiefdom - wife and finally the wife of The Teacher, a brave defier of the colonial balance of power. From one stage to another she is reflecting the changes taking place slowly within different levels of the society.

The social and political development plays definitely an important role in the story and builds up a special dynamic. However, the story line is sometimes getting lost and the intertwinned stories are missing some points or not necessarily connecting.

I was very happy to discover this important novel for the literary history of Guinea Bissau and I am looking forward to read more literary testimonies from the former lusophone realm. There is so much to discover.

Rating: 3 stars