A Marxist view of ruination: José Saramago’s fictional version of the construction of Dom João V’s monastic complex at Mafra, Portugal

Abstract

The subject of this article is the monastic complex at Mafra, Portugal, commissioned by Dom João V (King John V, 1689-1750). An overview of the historical circumstances of the building project is followed by José Saramago’s fictive version in his novel . Saramago describes the cause of the ruination of the Portuguese nation as the king’s egotistical desire for the largest monastic complex in Christendom. Saramago’s critique of the coerced labour required to construct the extensive edifice is discussed in terms of Marxist labour theory.

Die onderwerp van hierdie artikel is die monastiese kompleks te Mafra, Portugal, wat vir die opdraggewer Dom João V (koning Johannes V, 1689-1750) gebou is. ’n Oorsig van die geskiedkundige konteks van die bouprojek lei die bespreking in van José Saramago se fiktiewe weergawe daarvan in sy roman . Saramago beskryf hoe die koning se egotistiese begeerte om die grootste monastiese kompleks in die Christendom te besit, die Portugese volk geruïneer het. Saramago se kritiek op die aanwending van gedwonge arbeid vir die uitgebreide bouwerk word in terme van Marxistiese arbeidsteorie bespreek.