In “The Society of Reluctant Dreamers” by José Agualasa, he creates a world within which dreams are clues to the future, a place where all the potential tomorrows of humanity are housed. Written in the backdrop of civil war, political and social unrest in Angola, Agualasa gives us a glimpse into a part of the world that history often ignores, and the modern day person associates with poverty and conflict.
The central notion and significance of dreams in the book was fascinating to read about. His ideas of dreams are in direct conflict with Freud’s account, which places dreams as figments drawn from the past, retrieved from the corners of the mind to understand one’s unfulfilled desires. They are figments of our imagination, critical fabulations of our minds. Popular and traditional wisdom holds that we dream either of what has already happened or what is imaginary. To dream can mean to desire a future, but we certainly cannot dream the future itself.
In the context of Angola, with a dark history of Portuguese colonization, the idea of “dreaming” holds a symbolic and literal value. In mundane conversations with an ex-veteran (Kaley), the impact of the distress and chaos that grips Angola is relevant. He says “Sure, the Portuguese colonialism came to an end, but we aren’t any freer or any more at peace” (32). It is evident why premonitions and the ability to dream a future become a function to evade the constant pessimism and the increasing loss of hope that grips citizens. The Republic of Dreamers, brings into question how dreams can be functional, political and put to use.
We see this manifest in the book, where it’s evident all Angolans dream about defeating and overthrowing the authoritarian leader. On the last few pages, there are images of a crowd surging forward at the city palace, towards the soldiers – the utopia of bringing to life the common man’s dream demonstrates “that there is something more powerful than a gun” – an element of the human condition and our ability to dream.
In sum, the “dreamers” of Agualusa’s book are not limited to those who experience premonitions and future events while they’re asleep, but also the idealists and liberals who dream of Angola becoming “a free, just, democratic country”, instead of one in which an authoritative government reigns and inequalities prevail in every nook and corner. My question is, whether you agree with my concluding observations or if you think the dreams served a different purpose altogether in the book?