Identidade, memória e deslocamento em As naus, de António Lobo Antunes

Abstract

Through the analysis of the novel Return of the Caravels by Antonio Lobo Antunes, this study aims to shed light on the nuances of a post-modern character and his decisions in the context of a liquid and fluid society. The novel, published in 1988, sets an anachronism in which individuals from contemporary times and ancient Portuguese myths naturally coexist in the city of Lisbon. Some of the characters in this novel are the focus of this study, which examines a fragmented society marked by the constant displacement of individuals who compose it. In The Return of the Caravels, eccentricity is the main quality of a man who is lost in time and space. The character s marginalization fuels a continuous attempt to reconstruct the national identity. Additionally, the concepts of laughter and carnivalization serve as tools to deconstruct facts of the Portuguese history that have been regarded as absolute truth. In contemporary society, however, meanings ascribed to those facts have shifted. Thus, this thesis not only highlights the use of humor in the work of Antonio Lobo Antunes but also demystifies names, facts, and the glory of the Portugal Empire. Furthermore, this thesis discusses how, through historiographic metafiction, past events are used for a critical deconstruction of the present society. In short, this intricate anti-epic novel culminates in the dishonored return of Portugal s legendary heroes to the city of Lisbon five centuries later