THE AVATAR IN PANAMA - Theses - Flinders University

2.2 Modernismo and its Masters: Darío and Quiroga The Avatar in Panamamuertos son”, much like the linking of the unnamed male protagonistwith the machete. The characters in “El muerto” are doubled and theduality, division and binary opposites are apparent in the use ofvocabulary: “las que me permitían duplicarme y compartirme, su almadividida, porque ya no puedo dejar de ser él que me mira, de ser elotro”. 58 It is difficult to know whether the story’s title, and protagonist, isliteral, figurative, real or unreal, dead or alive, or whether there are infact differing planes; but it is clear that he is not in the same state asbefore; “ Soy apenas una sombra del hombre que fui”. There is a patentself-loathing due to the psychic split or crisis he is undergoing as herefers to himself as “[un] hombre dividido. Me detesto por ello”; he isdivided but static, and has also succumbed to madness and loss ofreason; “mi mente se ha vuelto débil, mis facultades de antes […] sehan ido deteriorando” (92, 93). On his arrival at the airport from abroad,he is greeted by no one, not his wife, nor his mistress who, “prefirió lacaricias de un vivo a las cartas llenas de ambiguas promesas de unmuerto” (94).Dying or near-dying fictional characters are given original waysof departing their circumstances. Typically, in the majority of incidences,their moribund state is disclosed at the conclusion of each story and allvictims suffer metaphorical or physical variations on the traditionalasphyxiation. 59The opening line of “El incidente” describes “ojos vidriosos” and“rostro amoratado” of an assault victim who “se moría antes de llegar laambulancia”. The person assisting him “rogaba que nos hiciéramospara atrás, dejen circular el aire”. The dying process moves from “[y]ome alejaba por instantes, me alejo” (46) to the final inevitable line “[y]este espacio blando que me absorbe, ¿dónde está y por qué noduele?” (47). 60 “El olor”’s dying invalid fails to concentrate as he isdistracted by the stench of decomposing corpses. His mind is numbedas the slow suffocation begins the end of his life. Those who indulge in“Libro sin tapas” burn alive in mysterious circumstances. “Agua de mar”,“Oleada” (ACO), have their characters drown in water, and in “El lector”,Vicente is left to drown in his own blood after he not only hears but feelsthe scream “que le produce el cuchillo que ha penetrado de golpe elpulmón” (77).58Jaramillo Levi, “El muerto”, El fabricante de máscaras, 93. “Historia de espejos”(CC) begins in media res of the dialogue. The vocabulary used to describe the trancelikestates (histéricos, hechizados, ambiente de pesadilla) contribute to the idea ofbeing dead in life found in “El muerto”: Compare Ricardo’s admission: “Me hacepensar que tal vez estemos muertos en vida. Y los muertos, muertos son” (93-94).Enrique Anderson Imbert’s “El muerto-vivo” has a similar theme. For a classification ofthe vocabulary see Appendix C Vocabulary of Multiplication and Doubling.59See Appendix C Suffocation.60 Jaramillo Levi, “El incidente”, 46-47.110