Soeiro Pereira Gomes
Encyclopedia
Joaquim Soeiro Pereira Gomes (14 April 1909 – 5 December 1949) was a Portuguese
writer of realist
influence and became one of the major names of Portuguese literature
of the 20th century. Pereira Gomes is, along with Alves Redol
, the biggest name of the Portuguese neo-realist
movement. He was also a communist militant and that was always present in its work, the Portuguese Communist Party
headquarters (Soeiro Pereira Gomes Building), in Lisbon
, are named after him.
, son of two farmers, because of that he studied in the Agricultural School in Coimbra
, after finishing his studies he emigrated to Angola
where he worked for one year before returning to Portugal. He then settled in Alhandra
, working in the local cement plant, where he developed an intense campaign of cultural dynamization among the workers.
But what really made him remarkable was his work as a writer and his influence upon Portuguese societysocialist realism
. In 1939, at only 20 years of age, he started publishing his first texts in the weekly newspaper 'O Diabo'.
Among his major works there are two novels of deep social criticism -- Esteiros and Engrenagem -- and several stories that are an exaltation of Communism
and communist militance.
As a member of the Portuguese Communist Party
, Soeiro was member of the Central Committee and was forced to live in clandestine condition due to the repression of the Portuguese Fascist regime. While living in such dangerous and precarious conditions and the fact he was a heavy smoker, Soeiro developed lung cancer and died victim of it, being unable to receive the medical help that he needed.
His major work is Esteiros, published in 1941 featuring many drawings by Álvaro Cunhal
, dedicated to the 'Sons of the men who were never a child ' is the story of a lower-class group of boys that due to their social status were forced to work in a small brick plant instead of studying, mainly it is a harsh critic of the dominant social system and its countless inequalities.
He also wrote a novel which was posthumously published: Engrenagem. It displays the changes suffered by an agricultural environment transformed into and industrial one. Differently from Esteiros, in Engrenagem, one may find a strong pamphleteer tone. It could be considered as a result of the close relation between Gomes and the Portuguese Communist Party at the time he composed the novel.
It is right to say that, along with Alves Redol
, Fernando Namora and Manuel da Fonseca
, Gomes is one of the fathers of the movement known as Portuguese Neo-Realism.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
writer of realist
Literary realism
Literary realism most often refers to the trend, beginning with certain works of nineteenth-century French literature and extending to late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century authors in various countries, towards depictions of contemporary life and society "as they were." In the spirit of...
influence and became one of the major names of Portuguese literature
Portuguese literature
This is a survey of Portuguese literature.The Portuguese language was developed gradually from the Vulgar language spoken in the countries which formed part of the Roman Empire and, both in morphology and syntax, it represents an organic transformation of Latin without the direct intervention of...
of the 20th century. Pereira Gomes is, along with Alves Redol
Alves Redol
António Alves Redol was one of the most influential Portuguese neorealist writers. Redol was born in Vila Franca de Xira, an industrial zone near Lisbon. In 1927 he finished school, and in the next year travelled to Angola , where he stayed for three years...
, the biggest name of the Portuguese neo-realist
Neorealism (art)
In art, neorealism was established by the ex-Camden Town Group painters Charles Ginner and Harold Gilman at the beginning of World War I. They set out to explore the spirit of their age through the shapes and colours of daily life...
movement. He was also a communist militant and that was always present in its work, the Portuguese Communist Party
Portuguese Communist Party
The Portuguese Communist Party is a major left-wing political party in Portugal. It is a Marxist-Leninist party, and its organization is based upon democratic centralism. The party also considers itself to be patriotic and internationalist....
headquarters (Soeiro Pereira Gomes Building), in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, are named after him.
Life
Soeiro was born in Gestaçô, Baião, Porto DistrictPorto District
The District of Porto , sometimes Oporto in English, is located on the north-west coast of Portugal. The district capital is the city of Porto, the second largest city in the country...
, son of two farmers, because of that he studied in the Agricultural School in Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, after finishing his studies he emigrated to Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
where he worked for one year before returning to Portugal. He then settled in Alhandra
Alhandra
Alhandra is a town and municipality in the state of Paraíba in the Northeast Region of Brazil.-References:...
, working in the local cement plant, where he developed an intense campaign of cultural dynamization among the workers.
But what really made him remarkable was his work as a writer and his influence upon Portuguese societysocialist realism
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
. In 1939, at only 20 years of age, he started publishing his first texts in the weekly newspaper 'O Diabo'.
Among his major works there are two novels of deep social criticism -- Esteiros and Engrenagem -- and several stories that are an exaltation of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and communist militance.
As a member of the Portuguese Communist Party
Portuguese Communist Party
The Portuguese Communist Party is a major left-wing political party in Portugal. It is a Marxist-Leninist party, and its organization is based upon democratic centralism. The party also considers itself to be patriotic and internationalist....
, Soeiro was member of the Central Committee and was forced to live in clandestine condition due to the repression of the Portuguese Fascist regime. While living in such dangerous and precarious conditions and the fact he was a heavy smoker, Soeiro developed lung cancer and died victim of it, being unable to receive the medical help that he needed.
His major work is Esteiros, published in 1941 featuring many drawings by Álvaro Cunhal
Álvaro Cunhal
Álvaro Barreirinhas Cunhal, who used the name Álvaro Cunhal , was a Portuguese politician. He was one of the major opponents of the dictatorial regime of Estado Novo. He served as secretary-general of the Portuguese Communist Party from 1961 to 1992...
, dedicated to the 'Sons of the men who were never a child ' is the story of a lower-class group of boys that due to their social status were forced to work in a small brick plant instead of studying, mainly it is a harsh critic of the dominant social system and its countless inequalities.
He also wrote a novel which was posthumously published: Engrenagem. It displays the changes suffered by an agricultural environment transformed into and industrial one. Differently from Esteiros, in Engrenagem, one may find a strong pamphleteer tone. It could be considered as a result of the close relation between Gomes and the Portuguese Communist Party at the time he composed the novel.
It is right to say that, along with Alves Redol
Alves Redol
António Alves Redol was one of the most influential Portuguese neorealist writers. Redol was born in Vila Franca de Xira, an industrial zone near Lisbon. In 1927 he finished school, and in the next year travelled to Angola , where he stayed for three years...
, Fernando Namora and Manuel da Fonseca
Manuel da Fonseca
Manuel Lopes Fonseca, better known as Manuel da Fonseca was a Portuguese writer....
, Gomes is one of the fathers of the movement known as Portuguese Neo-Realism.
Works
- Esteiros (1941)
- Engrenagem (1951)
- Contos Vermelhos
- Refúgio Perdido
- Última Carta