THE ANCESTRAL FEMALE VOICE: BREAKING THE MEMORICIDE IN OLD DOG, BY TERESA CÁRDENAS

Abstract

Cuban writer Teresa Cárdenas, recipient of the prestigious Casa de las Américas Prize, invites readers in Cachorro Velho (2010) to a visceral immersion into the history and memory of slavery in Cuba, exposing the deep scars left by this traumatic legacy. These scars, inherited from colonialism, are identified as crimes (BÁEZ, 2010): genocide, ethnocide, and memoricide. Drawing from collective memory and her enslaved ancestors, Cárdenas transforms writing into an act of resistance against oblivion and denial, promoting both reparation and the preservation of Black memory in the Americas. Fictionalized testimony in this context does not distort historical truth but instead amplifies silenced voices, creating a counter-discourse that challenges dominant narratives. The female characters Beira and Aroni play a crucial role in this process of reconstitution and reconstruction, offering multiple perspectives on the female condition within slavery. Their roles transcend stereotypical representations, revealing complexity through their voices, acts of resistance, and commitment to preserving ancestral memory. Through them, the author underscores the significance of orality and tradition in shaping identity and resisting erasure. Literature, thus, emerges as a powerful tool in the fight against racism and in the construction of a society that, by remembering the past, prevents its repetition. This study analyzes the work through the theoretical lenses of Figueiredo (2010, 2011), Duarte (2022), Evaristo (2015), Gagnebin (2012), and Pizarro (2009).