“A river called time, a house called land”: the contribution of Mia Couto to fundamental rights in literature

Abstract

This work is based on discussing the contribution of the novel A river called time, by Mozambican writer Mia Couto, to the theory of Law. The debate lies within the theoretical branch of “law in literature”, in which characters and stories involving legal matters are made evident. The narrative revolves around the journey of the young Mariano to the island Luar-do-Chão, after years away from his homeland, to lead the funeral celebration of his supposed Grandfather Mariano. When he arrives on the island, he finds himself impelled to reconstruct a story that had been made without his participation. Marianinho must care for the memory of the family and the traditions of the island. The problem lies in how to deal with the fundamental rights, such as the right to life, death, nationality, equality and freedom, in a context of specific traditions such as the island Luar-do-Chão. Mia Couto uses metaphors and allegories to make the reader think beyond the text, reflecting upon life itself, relating “time” and “home” as the thematic axes. The methodology used in this paper is phenomenological hermeneutics, since law does not cease to suffer the historical-cultural contingencies of the universe in which it is integrated, in this way, legal concepts are revealed as historical phenomena, oriented to critical reflection.