The Camonian appropriation in the 21st century: Gonçalo M. Tavares and India

Abstract

Starting from the recognition that Luís de Camões’ work is the headstone of Portuguese literary canon, this article intends to think about the relationship of The Lusiads, as a symbol of the very memory of a culture, with A trip to India: contemporary melancholy (an itinerary), by Gonçalo M. Tavares. From the fate expressed in the title to the repetition of the structure of the Camonian epic, the 21st century text highlights the influence of the 16th century work. On the other hand, the displacement of the character Bloom in the context of persecution and escape problematizes the epic, while also advancing in the dialectical reading of contradictions of love. Following the itinerary of this (anti)epic, this article seeks to point out con- vergences and divergences between A trip to India and The Lusiads