
The 1930s in Portugal were scary times. Police and militiamen occupied the streets, striking fear into citizens. Those who opposed the state were persecuted and sometimes even killed. The government had a presence in seemingly every aspect of life. While Pereira, the main character from Antonio Tabucchi’s Pereira Declares, is fictional, he encountered many of the same fears and challenges faced by real Portuguese citizens at the time. In Chapter Three of his novel Pereira Declares, author Antonio Tabucchi cleverly uses the literary devices of word choice, metaphor, and imagery to make clear that no matter how hard he tries, Pereira will never be able to truly escape Portugal’s authoritarian government. 

In Chapter Three, Tabucchi uses word choice to set the tone of the opening paragraphs. The main character, Dr. Pereira, travels from his home to Praca de Alegria to meet with Monteiro Rossi, a man he spoke with earlier that day. On the way to the meeting, Pereira notes there are police and militiamen seemingly around every corner. However, when he reaches Praca de Alegria, he notices a distinct lack of police presence. He also notes that the café is hosting a Salazarist, or pro-government, festival. He becomes extremely nervous when he realizes this, but he sticks around to meet with Rossi and to enjoy the rather pleasant atmosphere. 

The first literary device that Tabucchi deploys in Chapter Three is word choice. His choice of words in the first paragraph differs greatly from his selection in the following paragraphs, which causes a stark contrast tones. The opening paragraph of the chapter describes Pereira’s journey to Praca de Alegria. Here Tabucchi uses certain words to set the tone of the chapter. He makes it clear that Pereira is frightened of the police and militiamen he encounters along his way. A great example of Tabucchi’s word choice is when he writes: “but he quailed at the thought of passing right under the noses of those sinister militiamen” (9). The two words that stick out in this phrase are quailed and sinister. Firstly, quailed is a word that is used to show how much Pereira fears the militiamen and police. Then he describes these men as sinister, an adjective that is not used lightly. Pereira must truly believe these men are evil, or represent evil, if he is willing to call them sinister. These two words, along with others such as forced and uncomfortable, really set the tone for this paragraph. Tabucchi’s selection of words gives the passage a nervous, hurried feeling, as it is made clear Pereira wishes to escape the presence of the police. In the very next paragraph, it appears Pereira receives his wish. He arrives at Praca de Alegria where there is no police presence. All of a sudden the word choice changes, and with it the tone. In one of the very first sentences after Pereira passes the police, Tabucchi says he “strolled peacefully” (9). This is a very quick turnaround from the previous paragraph. When Pereira felt police presence he felt “uncomfortable” (9) and he was “forced to walk past them” (9). Then when he was out of the occupied area, he found the setting “tranquil” (9) as he “let himself drift with the music” (10). There is an obvious change of word choice and tone when police disappear from the picture. As soon as Pereira discovers that he is at a Salazarist festival however, the word choice temporarily changes back. When Pereira realizes where he is he hangs “back in terror” (10). This proves that there is a correlation between how Pereira feels and the presence of the government.

The next literary device that Tabucchi successfully utilizes is the metaphor. The overarching metaphor throughout the first several chapters is that the weather represents the government of Portugal. Tabucchi references the weather multiple times before Chapter Three. For example, the first lines of Chapter Two read: “In the afternoon the weather changed, Pereira declares. The sea-breeze suddenly lulled, in from the Atlantic rolled a dense bank of haze, and the city was soon enveloped in a shroud of heat” (5). While it may seem like Tabucchi is simply stating the weather, the metaphor is made clear when some political and historical context is revealed. In the 1930s, when Pereira Declares takes place, Antonio de Oliveira Salazar became dictator. He ran a totalitarian regime, meaning all aspects of his citizens’ lives were controlled by the government. So when Tabucchi makes a point of the overwhelming heat, he is actually commenting on the oppressive nature of the government. In Chapter Three, when Pereira arrives at the Salazarist festival, it is important to note how the weather has changed. While listening to music, Pereira notes “the sea-breeze was rising again from the Atlantic and the evening was cool” (11). It is interesting how when Pereira is at a pro-government festival, the weather becomes less overwhelming and significantly more comfortable. This likely has to do with the lack of government control at the event. Since the attendees support the government, there is no police or military presence. This allows the atmosphere to be much more relaxed than in other parts of the city. Even in this relaxed atmosphere however, Pereira must still deal with the presence of the government in the form of the festival.

The final literary device employed by Tabucchi is imagery. He uses vivid sights and sounds to appeal to the senses throughout Chapter Three. When Pereira first arrives at the Salazarist festival, he is greeted by beautiful music and colorful lights in addition to comfortable weather. He notices the welcoming sights and sounds before he realizes he is at a pro-government event. While the nature of the festival makes him extremely nervous, he stays “because the music, in spite of it all, was a pleasure to him” (10). The imagery Tabucchi uses to describe the atmosphere paints a calm and soothing scene. There are paper festoons, couples dancing, and a cool breeze. All of this would typically relax Pereira, but he can never really seem to calm his nerves in this passage. This is because while the setting is perfect, the Salazarist festival has him continuously on edge. Pereira’s initial reaction when he realizes he is at the festival is to think about the terrible things his government has done. In particular he thinks of “the Alentejan carter who shed his blood all over his melons” (10). Here Tabucchi uses imagery to contrast the otherwise tranquil setting he has portrayed. The dead carter leaves a strong picture in the minds of readers and Pereira alike, detracting from the evening. Even when Pereira is in a calming environment, he cannot shake the overwhelming presence of the government.

In Chapter Three of Pereira Declares, Antonio Tabbuchi uses word choice, metaphors, and imagery to create two starkly different settings in the first several paragraphs. He contrasts when the government directly impacts Pereira’s life against when it is more subtly involved. Tabucchi focuses on Pereira’s time at a Salazarist festival for most of the passage. The setting is tranquil, but Pereira cannot relax while he is there. This is because Tabucchi successfully implements the aforementioned literary devices to create a noticeable, yet indirect, presence of the government in the form of the festival. In these paragraphs, Pereira realizes that no matter what he does, or where he goes, he will never be able to avoid the grasp of the Portuguese government. 
