The year is 1938, and fascism is on the rise in Europe. Antonio Tabucchi tells a story about the main protagonist, Pereira, who hates the current fascist regime in Portugal. Tabucchi shows that Pereira prefers living in the past rather than facing the present because the former brought him happiness, whereas the latter makes him think only of death. Pereira's tendency to retreat into memories of his wife and his younger self is conveyed through flashbacks, contrasting images, and his interactions with Monteiro Rossi and Marta.

Contrasting images are used frequently throughout the chapters to show that Pereira would rather live in his past. Pereira walks into a nationalist festival by accident. He says that “He thought of the Alentejan carter who had shed who shed his blood all over his melons” (10). The Alentejan carter that Pereira is referring to had been killed recently by the police. A few moments later Pereira is overcome with emotion and decides to sit down on a bench and listen to the music being played. Pereira says that “The music, in spite of it all, was a pleasure to him. The players were two little old men, one on the viola and the other on the guitar, and they played the heartrending old melodies of the Coimbra of his youth” (10). Pereira mentions his youth here because he is in this emotional state. These contrasting images are used to show that Pereira would like to go back to when he was young.

Flashbacks are used in chapters 3-6 to paint a positive picture about Pereira’s past. At the festival, Pereira is reminded of his youth and describes it. “In those days, he too used to play the viola at student parties, he had a trim figure and was athletic and had the girls falling in love with him” (10). Pereira mentions his “trim figure” and how he “was athletic.” This is because currently is old and obese. These characteristics about Pereira coupled with everything else going on, such as the carter who was murdered, makes Pereira nostalgic about his past when murder would have never had happened.

Pereira’s wish to live in his past becomes apparent as he interacts with Monteiro Rossi and Marta. When Pereira first sees Monteiro Rossi at the Salazarist festival, Pereira describes Rossi as “like him” (11) and then proceeds to describe Rossi’s hair and his singing in an almost envious way. Pereira uses words like “passion,” “vitality,” and “beautiful” (11). Pereira, also, says that this makes him feel “a great deal of nostalgia” (11). Another interaction that shows Pereira would rather live in the past is when Pereira gives Rossi the task to write an article for Pereira’s paper, but this article Rossi is “unpublishable”. Instead of just telling Rossi to leave and going about his business, Pereira gives Rossi another chance to write an article and they go out to lunch together. The only reason that Pereira gave him this second chance is that Pereira sees his younger self in Rossi. While at the festival, Marta dances with Pereira. “And he danced that waltz almost in rapture, as if his paunch and all his fat had vanished by magic” (16). When he refers to his fat vanishing, he is saying that he feels younger.

Tabucchi shows that Pereira does not want to face the present and would rather live in his past. Flashbacks, contrasting images, and Pereira’s interactions with Monteiro Rossi and Marta are used in Pereira Declares to show this theme. Tabucchi uses all of these literary devices together to make Pereira Declares an interesting, and fun book for anyone to read in their spare time.
