THE AVATAR IN PANAMA - Theses - Flinders University

3.1 Shoes and Mirrors: Images of Doubling The Avatar in PanamaHis reactive catoptrophobia in this instance may well be apathological expression of ego phobia as his lost reflection isidentifiable with his alter-ego, dreams and passions. 17In Maupassant’s “Le horla”, the narrator’s realisation of theabsence of his reflection in the mirror is pivotal to the confirmation of thecentral character’s madness. 18 While devising a written plan to capturethe invisible irritant, the narrator feels le horla the reading over hisshoulder and brush against his ear. He looks to the mirror and fails tosee his own reflection: "Eh bien?... on y voyait comme en plein jour, etje ne me vis pas dans ma glace! Elle était vide, claire, profonde, pleinede lumière! Mon image n’était pas dedans…et j’étais en face, moi!"(94). 19 He believes le horla has stolen or assumed his identity in theform of his reflection. Le horla has absorbed it:Je voyais le grand verre limpide du haut en bas.Et je regardais cela avec des yeux affolés; et jen’osais plus avancer, je n’osais plus faire unmouvement, sentant bien pourtant qu’il était là,mais qu’il m’échapperait encore, lui dont lecorps imperceptible avait dévoré mon reflet. 20Then the mirror begins to reveal his reflection once more:Comme j’eus peur! Puis voilà que tout à coup jecommençai a m’apercevoir dans une brume, aufonde du miroir, dans une brume comme atravers une nappe d’eau; et il me semblait quecette eau glissait de gauche à droit, lentement,rendant plus précise mon image, de seconde enseconde. C’était la fin d’une éclipse. Ce qui mecachait ne paraissait point posséder de contoursnettement arrêtés, mais une sorte detransparence opaque, s’éclaircissant peu à peu.Je pus enfin me distinguer complètement, ainsi17 Fear of mirrors is also termed eisoptrophobia, a word derived from the Greek "eis"(into) and "optikos" (vision, image, sight).18 See 1.2 Folie à deux: “Le horla” 51.19 “Well?...It was as bright as day, but I could not see myself in the mirror! It wasempty and bright, and full of light to the very depths. My reflection was nowhere to beseen, yet I was standing right in front of it!” (340-341).20 “I could see the whole limpid piece of glass from top to bottom. I stared at it withpanic-stricken eyes, unable to take a single step, to make the slightest movement,knowing that he was there, that his invisible body had swallowed up my reflection”(341).166