ENTRE O SONHO E A REALIDADE:

O REALISMO ANIMISTA EM TERRA SONÂMBULA

Abstract

This article aims to examine the manifestation of animist realism in the novel Terra Sonâmbula (1993) by Mozambican author Mia Couto. Set in the post-civil war context of Mozambique, the narrative follows the journey of Muidinga and Tuahir, characters who, amidst the destruction caused by violence and poverty, seek survival, identity, and meaning in their lives. Through the fusion of the real and the fantastic, Mia Couto constructs a story deeply marked by African oral tradition, spirituality, and ancestry. This study investigates how the author employs aesthetic and linguistic resources to portray a reality in which the visible and the invisible coexist organically. The concept of animist realism is presented as a key interpretive tool, evidenced by the presence of spirits, dreams, animated objects, and other expressions of the spiritual world integrated into the characters' everyday lives. The research adopts a qualitative methodological approach, based on a literature review, drawing theoretical and critical support from authors such as Rita Chaves (2004), Harry Garuba (2012), Silvio Ruiz Paradiso (2014; 2015; 2020), among others.