Problems in National Allegory: The Galician (and Brazilian) Question in Contemporary Portuguese Literary Historiography

Abstract:The way of preparing a literary history is a matter of fierce debate, particularly in the case of emergent literary systems. However, it also affects the historiography of systems that are more established, over longer periods of time, such as the Portuguese. This case presents problems in relation to neighbouring systems (such as the Spanish), as well as the literary emergences and developments in Brazil and the countries of Portuguese-speaking Africa. Also affected is Galician literary production, which interferes directly in the establishing of a foundation period for Portuguese literature in histories on the subject. The instability and the lack of coherence in these historiographical productions reveal the need to find new historiographical approaches (in consideration of systems and of heritage) and demonstrate the inviability of a ‘grand narrative in Portuguese, or other, literature.