Games of Chance: a road to libertinism and a revolutionary step

Abstract

In José Cardoso Pires’ work, the conflict between libertines and marialvas is definitely a central topic. Unlike marialvas, who embody conservatism and the suffocating moralism of Portuguese society, libertines adopt a defiant stance against prevailing moral norms, challenging the established order by asserting themselves as lovers of both sex and knowledge. Using as its basis, therefore, libertines as a revolutionary symbol, far from viewing them as immoral and undisciplined beings, this study examines three short stories from Jogos de Azar (Games of Chance) aiming to follow the path to libertinism through three female characters. This piece comprehends their conscience about the hostile position they occupy in a patriarchal society and their consequent pursuit for personal pleasure as a revolutionary act. In Cardoso Pires’ books, love is not only subversive, but also a form of revolution.