How did Portuguese neorealism change the psychological novel?

In the context of Portuguese literature, the psychological novel—which had reached a sophisticated level of development through the work of writers such as José Régio—underwent a significant transformation with the emergence of Portuguese neorealism.1

Neorealism shifted the focus of the psychological novel by integrating an acute perception of human motivation with a heightened sense of social awareness. This transition is exemplified by the work of authors such as António Alves Redol and Carlos de Oliveira. For instance, in his debut novel Casa na duna (1943), Oliveira demonstrated this new direction by blending the exploration of individual psychology with the broader social realities of the time, a synthesis that remained a hallmark of his career.1

This movement effectively moved the genre away from purely introspective or individualistic concerns, grounding the psychological study of characters within the context of their social and political environments.1