Jorge Vicente Valentim

QUANDO CONTAR É RESISTIR

Introduction

Quando contar É resistir. Investiga a presença de mulheres escritoras no Neorrealismo português (1940-1960). Revela a invisibilidade feminina na literatura e celebra o ato de contar como resistência no Estado Novo.

Abstract

No presente ensaio, pretende-se refletir sobre a presença de algumas mulheres artistas no elenco de participantes no Neorrealismo português. A partir da leitura da própria fortuna crítica do movimento, será possível detectar uma ausência de nomes femininos, sobretudo, no campo literário, ao contrário do que ocorre no setor das artes plásticas, entre as décadas de 1940-1960. Numa breve visada em alguns manuais de história da literatura portuguesa da época, não será difícil detectar que a literatura de autoria feminina é relegada a um espaço mínimo, ou quando sequer é mencionada. No entanto, certas obras, como as de Judith Navarro, Lília da Fonseca e Maria Archer, atestam a adesão de mulheres escritoras à estética neorrealista, seja de forma direta e incisiva, seja de maneira indireta e eventual. Neste sentido, trazer à cena a presença destas escritoras constitui uma forma de demonstrar que o exercício de contar pode ser entendido como um gesto de resistência no cenário português do Estado Novo Salazarista.  

Review

The essay "QUANDO CONTAR É RESISTIR" presents a highly pertinent and necessary critical intervention into the established narratives of Portuguese Neorealism. The abstract clearly outlines the paper's central aim: to illuminate the overlooked presence of women artists, particularly writers, within this significant cultural movement from the 1940s to the 1960s. The title itself, "When Telling is Resisting," powerfully encapsulates the core argument, framing the very act of artistic expression by women during the Estado Novo Salazarista as a fundamental gesture of defiance against historical erasure and patriarchal marginalization. The methodology proposed involves a critical engagement with the existing scholarly discourse on Portuguese Neorealism, where the author anticipates detecting a stark absence of female literary figures, a contrast to their comparatively stronger representation in the visual arts. The essay intends to demonstrate how contemporary Portuguese literary history manuals further compounded this issue by either relegating women's literature to minimal spaces or omitting it entirely. Crucially, the paper will bring forward the works of figures like Judith Navarro, Lília da Fonseca, and Maria Archer, showcasing their adherence, whether direct or nuanced, to the Neorealist aesthetic, thereby challenging the conventional understanding of the movement's participants. This research promises to be a valuable contribution to both literary history and feminist scholarship, offering a vital corrective to the predominantly male-centric accounts of Portuguese Neorealism. By intentionally bringing these forgotten or minimized voices "to the scene," the essay not only fills a critical gap in our understanding but also redefines the very parameters of resistance and artistic engagement during a repressive political era. The argument that storytelling by these women was inherently a form of resistance is compelling and timely, prompting a re-evaluation of both canonical works and the political dimensions of literary production.

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