By examining the speech patterns and body language in PD, we can better understand Pereira's true internalized feelings and political views. This is important because he often speaks out of anxiety or compulsion, but on occasion he expresses happier thoughts. Equally important, the way his body reacts to certain situations provides another clue to precisely those feelings he will not declare. 

Often times we will see the way Pereira declares he felt differing from the speech and actions Pereira takes. One of the first examples of Pereira’s internalized thoughts being a façade is when he is speaking to Monteiro from the heart rather than from anxiety. While Rossi was speaking Pereira wanted to tell him to be factual and he wanted to respond through anxiety but still he had told Rossi that “we must always follow the reasons of the heart.”(27) Shortly after he told Rossi that despite his internalized anxiety response that left us with the question “Why had he said all that when he wanted to say quite the opposite?”(28) I believe he told him that because despite how Pereira declared he felt that he really wanted to speak from the heart and so he did so through the confidence Rossi granted him. On the inside Pereira faces anxiety which tells him to speak from fear for he had been living in this emotionless state for a long time. Despite the state of depression he usually lives in this is a prime example of when he speaks from a happy emotion, from “reasons the heart”, rather than from his usual state.

A prime example of his actions and emotions not always being collaborative is when he was first meeting Monteiro at the salazarist festival. His actions display his true emotions rather than his stated words. Sometimes he strays from his internalized debased state for example when “he danced that waltz almost in rapture.”(16) That was very out of character because he was already very uneasy to be there but this Marta and Rossi took his mind off that. When Pereira was invited to dance his response was assumedly reminiscent of his youth as he displayed a priorly unseen confidence and poise. Also in the presence of Rossi he will experience spurts of feelings such as pride like when he “decided to adopt a haughty tone” (18) while speaking of his work. One can only assume he adopted this pride in the presence of Rossi in the same way a father may adopt pride when questioned by his son. You can also notice when he is in a happier state of mind he is not as actively hungry like when he was dining with Rossi he states “just now I need an aperitif.” (26) An aperitif is an alcoholic beverage intended to induce hunger, but this would leave us wondering why a man who always eats and doesn’t drink would want such a thing. I can only assume it is because when he is at ease he no longer fears enjoying himself through an action such as drinking as well as he no longer finds as much satisfaction in an action such as eating. 

You can also key into his political views through his reactions both internally and externally. At the festival he was fearful for the evident fact that he had a differing political view, but in the time and place he lived the only thing he could do was live with it and move on. When he was first approaching the festival it was stated after he noticed the people in green shirts and scarves “He hung back in terror, and several different things flashed into his mind at once.”(10) This showed that not only was he not a salazarist, but Pereira borderline feared them with the recent murder of the “Alentejan carter.” Pereira when first meeting Marta initially confirmed she was not a salazarist youth then proceeded to tell her that he did not care much for politics and he was not a fan of fanatics. She proceeded to elaborate on the difference between fanaticism and faith by sharing her political agreement with the French revolution and asked Pereira’s stance. “Theoretically yes, answered Pereira, but then regretted having said theoretically, because what he had wanted to say was: Substantially yes.”(16) Despite the prior statement that he was not a fan of politics or fanatics it appeared his political viewpoint was close to that of Marta’s and Marta seemed like a bit of a fanatic when it came to the freedom and equality of men. Later you see Pereira tell his wife “she’s just a bit too cocksure and talks politics” (20) but I honestly believe what he perceived as arrogant confidence in her political views may have resembled his wife’s prior beliefs. Pereira does not always say what he really means but instead says what his emotions dictate at the time being where as in the moment his political beliefs were in sync with hers. 

In conclusion Pereira’s speech patterns and body language usually display his true feelings, he also often speaks out of anxiety and compulsion, but the way his mind responds to certain situations usually keys in to how he really feels. He will often say things that differ from how he actually feels do to his deeply ingrained anxiety. This can be seen through by watching the way he acts may it be his spurts of emotions considered uncommon for him or physical actions and reactions that do not fit his initial character traits. His political views are also more easily determined when you see through what he says and examine how he reacts. Pereira’s true feelings are determined through a combination of action, reaction, and internal responses. 