In the beginning of Pereira Declares, the reader is introduced to an overweight newspaper editor who lives under a totalitarian regime in Portugal. The reader quickly learns that the media is censored and that the government is abusive towards their citizens. This creates a dark and scary tone in the beginning of the book that compels readers to continue flipping through the pages of the novel. Chapter three in Pereira Declares, by Antoni Tabucchi, is about the first in person encounter between Pereira and Monteiro Rossi. Within this chapter, Pereira is trying to locate the cafe that Rossi has said to meet at. As Pereira arrives at this location, he is at first oblivious to the festival that surrounds him, but then soon realizes that he has stumbled into a Salazarist festival and is shocked. The remaining parts of this passage tell a story of how Pereira is affected by the music playing and finds a sort of peace in the moment. In this passage, Tabucchi uses precise diction, symbols, and imagery to convey the theme that culture combats terror, and to create and change the tone throughout the passage. 

Throughout the passage, Tabucchi uses special diction to display the theme that culture combats terror, on top of creating and changing the tone of the text. In the first half of the passage, when Pereira first realizes that he is in a Salazarist festival, Tabucchi uses dark words like “terror” and “blood” (10), to create a fearful tone. This shows the fear that is inflicted on the populace just from being in the presence of people who support the dictatorship. Pereira is shaken so much by the festival that he flops down on a bench in shock, it’s only then that he notices the music. As the music is playing Tabucchi uses words like “radiant”, “passion”, and “beautiful” (10,11) to change the tone to a bright and relaxing feeling, at the same time allowing the reader to slip into Pereira’s past and introduce us to Monteiro Rossi. 

Tabucchi uses symbolism to display the theme that culture combats terror and to change the tone of the passage. In this passage the symbol used is music. In the beginning, Pereira is extremely distressed and frightened by the festival he has stumbled upon. Visions of atrocities committed by the regime flash through his head as he thinks of the “Alentejan carter who had shed his blood all over his melons” (10).  But then his mind comes to rest once he hears this beautiful music being played. Pereira begins to think of his childhood and how he “thought of life as a long radiant future” (10). In this portion of the passage the festival and the ideas behind the festival, are symbols of the political evil lurking outside the café while the music represents culture in this society. Tabucchi does a great job of portraying the theme that culture combats terror in this passage of the text. Once Pereira notices the political evil and terror represented by the festival he is thrown into a terrified state. It is only when he notices the culture represented by the music, that he is snapped out of his terror and begins to enjoy himself. This is the perfect example of Tabucchi using symbols to represent culture combating terror 

The music in the portion of the passage represents culture and the human’s ability to resist terror. After hearing the music, Pereira is reminded of his wonderful childhood, where “any number of beautiful girls had been mad about him” (10). The effect of the music changes the tone of the passage completely. The reader is now filled with pleasant feelings about life instead of the fear inflicted in the first part of the passage. This is the most interesting part of this passage. The use of the festival and music as symbols draws attention to an overall theme of the novel, that having culture and freedom and resisting the inner beast is what humanity is about, and to not allow people who have let the inner beast takeover get into power. 

Along with symbolism and diction, Tabucchi uses imagery to convey the theme and change the tone. Tabucchi uses visual imagery to make the reader feel as if they are in Pereira’s head, experiencing things as he is, thinking the same thoughts that he is. The author paints a vivid picture when he describes Pereira’s childhood when “he had a trim figure and was athletic and had the girls falling in love with him” (10). Images like this one throughout the passage help set up a lighter and more relaxing tone through the end of the passage. The visuals put the reader inside of Pereira’s head and show us how his childhood was so full of hope and ambition. Pereira was handsome, in shape, and intelligent, and he could be all these things because he was a man of learning and culture, essentially, he was civilized. The reader can assume Pereira is civilized and has culture due to the fact that he “seemed to recognize himself” (11), in the singer that was performing at the festival. This also alludes to music being a symbol of culture in the situation compared to the festival and the ideas behind it being politically evil.

In conclusion, the tone starts out as a scary, dark, and fearful, but is then transformed into a safe, relaxing, and relieving one. This tone creation and change assist the author in representing the theme that culture combats terror in the novel. And Tabucchi does a phenomenal job of using diction, symbols and imagery to address this theme. Tabucchi also does a fantastic job in using the very same methods to create and change the tone of this passage. Finally, Tabucchi uses pinpointed diction, symbols, and imagery to display the theme of the novel and to create and change the tone throughout the passage  