Education As A Tool For Social Transformation In Pepetela’s Narrative: A Comparative Study Between The Adventures Of Ngunga And Mayombe

Abstract

This article analyses education as an instrument of social transformation in Pepetela’s narrative, based on a comparative reading of The Adventures of Ngunga (1972) and Mayombe (1980). The study demonstrates that, in both works, education goes beyond the formal school sphere and assumes a political, ethical and identity-forming role, functioning as a mechanism for shaping the Angolan subject during the revolutionary period. In Ngunga, education guides the moral construction of a young protagonist who learns to distinguish values, responsibilities and commitments within a context of anti-colonial struggle. In Mayombe, education appears in a more diffuse form within guerrilla life, where ideological debate, internal conflict and collective practice shape the political consciousness of the combatants. The comparative analysis reveals that Pepetela conceives education as a continuous process of emancipation, capable of producing conscious, critical individuals committed to social transformation. It is concluded that both narratives propose complementary educational models that reflect, critique and project the construction of Angolan society.