Why do you think Mr Amaral put his neck on the line Anne?
I think it's related to marialvism.
I find it most interesting that you relate the concept of Marialvism to Amaral's actions. I find myself agreeing with you.
My understanding is that the closest word (though not a perfect translation by any means) in English is probably "machismo". But it is a machismo which is tied to Portuguese history and which also comes with its own history.
It is the knight on his horse, the father seeking revenge for the death of a child, the gladiator in the arena, the bullfighter who tackles the strongest bull, the man who seeks to prove his honour and his virility. It is linked to the role of noble and serf and has strength in the south of the country and in areas of great landowning dyn a sties. (getting round the word censor)
I can see how this might relate to Amaral. He saw his dismissal from the case as a slight to his masculinity, as a stain on his honour and he was determined to do whatever was necessary to redeem that honour.
But marialvism is not simply a question of basic machismo, or manly honour: it has a darker side too. An integral aspect of the concept is the dominance of the male over the female, an absolute need for inequality between the sexes, the practice of hegemonic masculinity. Though there is no explicit reliance on the Church in marialvism it relies on the concepts of the Immaculate Conception, Annunciation, etc. to define the woman and her role and it repeats the paternalism found in both mediaeval society and the Church to construct a role for women.
"O machismo ou exibição viril, atributo do marialva, obediência à “voz do sangue”, é incompatível com a aceitação da igualdade em soberania dos amantes." - Cardoso Pires
The machismo or display of virility, aspect of marialvism, obedience to the "voice of blood", is incompatible with an acceptance of equality in the domain of lovers"If as you claim (and as I agree) Amaral is at least in part driven by marialvism regarding his honour, I have to wonder to what extent the equally pervasive strand of the concept (hegemonic masculinity) is also a driving factor in his make-up?
And I wonder to what extent the concept of hierarchy is relevant to Amaral?
Cardoso Pires quotes Bacelar;
"As atitudes boçais do português... não provêm tão-somente da sua boçalidade nativa mas de um certo culto snob da brutalidade e do desdém pelas coisas do espírito considerados como traços de boa autocracia."
"The attitudes of the uncultured Portuguese ... don't merely come from his native coars eness but from a certain snob worship of brutality and contempt for the things of the spirit considered traits of good autocracy."If you believe that Amaral's action is imbued with the "honra e vergonha" (honour and shame) aspect of marialvism then surely it is fair to question to what extent other aspects of the concept underpin his actions?
From "Fado and the Place of Longing" by Richard Elliott.
