Autognose pátria no romance Directa, de Nuno Bragança

Abstract

The Portuguese writer Nuno Bragança (1929-1985) resisted the fascist dictatorship on two fronts: either as an opposition militant (he was part of “progressive Catholics” and collaborated with the Brigadas Revolucionárias), or as a writer. In fact, his fight partner Carlos Antunes to define as “guerrilla writer”. One notes, as a writer, his desire to thoroughly investigate the historical conditions of the Portuguese present, in order to think of another Portugal, more free and fair. It is the national self-knowledge - that is, the attempt to interpret the historical entity called Portugal - that puts itself in the service of resistance and political action. And in the Directa novel this commitment becomes evident. The aim of this article is to speak briefe of the political context in which the work is written and mention elements of resistance in the author's biography. It also intends to show what this interpretative movement consists of, including the name of Nuno Bragança in a lineage of self-interpretations from Portugal.