2 ?b90

112
be found: "En el sueffo gira, se desespera, quiere escribir en las almo-
hadas
... se despierta como si hubiese salido del infierno. ýQu6
es
lo que ve en esa excursi6n? Siente el sueiro como un secuestro ...
Cada sueffo que no puede contar3, lo ahoga, ahi estd ya el asma" (1,182).
The terms which Rialta uses to describe Cemi's distress remind the reader
of Cemi's first crisis. They also echo Eliade's account of the necessary
spiritual journeys of the shaman, down to hell. As Gimbernat de GonzAlez
has said: "El sueffo es escritural es traducci6n a un sistema nuevo. El
ritmo desajustado, presencia del ritmo sistAltico, de la disnea, es fruto
de lo no contado... .
##30
In his dreams, the child descends to a darkq
unknown world, which is, in fact, his own psyche.
In the first incident, in the canoe., father and son are watching
each other all the time: "miraba a su padre con astucia, para fingirle la
normalidad de su respiracidn" while his father draws attention to the di-
sability: "4No notas extraTfa la respiracidn de Joseito? Fijate que 61 no
respira igual que tfl
....
Cuando se pone asi
me intranquilizo
(1. %
177). The father's concern is tempered by irritation, to the extent
that he is prepared to risk the life of Violante, his favourite, in th--
murky pool at El Morro to show off his healthier child: "Queria evitar
la vulgaridad tragic6micag de que comenzaran a darle recetas, p6cimas y
yerbajos" (1,179). The finger from which Cemi dangles in the water
beside the canoe is "su
indice hecho a ejercer la autoridad" (1,177)
and it is like an anchor., revealing that Cemi looks to his father for
guidance and support. It is withdrawn at precisely the crucial moment
and Cemi is left to sink or swim in the little whirlpool. This seems
to me to be a symbolic representation of Jos4 Eugenio's death, which
takes place at the onset of Cemi's adolescence. It is noticeable that
Cemi expresses no anger towards his father but remains the silent victim.,
trying to confort the would-be teacher: "le daba palmadas a su padre.,