THE AVATAR IN PANAMA - Theses - Flinders University

3.2 Double Whammy: Mixed Doubles The Avatar in Panamaincidente” reminisces as he lies dying and from here he experiences theNereida fantasy. The unborn child features too: “y un niño llora en algúnsitio que no es ya tu vientre” (47). This intratextual element of fictionalcharacters referring to other characters within the same group of textspertains particularly to Duplicaciones and its assessment as “un gransolo texto”. 29 It weaves people and circumstance so subtly, whetherconscious or not, that with each reading a new layer is uncoveredmaking his work highly original. Even the descriptions of the way inwhich waves collide with the rocks are similar in “Nereida”: “[e]l destinote ha devuelto a los rincones secretos de Fuerte Amador, ahí donde elaire puro y el mar que se estrella contra las rocas” (137); and in “Elincidente” “No se distinguía el color de la arena la noche que paseamosen Fuerte Amador. […] Antes sólo oíamos las olas estrellándose alláfuera, lejos, lejos” (47).Sandra and Sonia are two women, wife and ‘patient’respectively, involved with the same man in “Es él” (RT). Sandra ismarried to Jaime, the doctor who is “treating” Sonia but the marriedcouple has an ulterior motive for involving themselves with the unstableSonia. 30 Sandra also appears as the ex-wife of one of the husbands in“El esposo”, in which, incidentally, she is the only character mentionedby name.Paula Rodriguez is “La alumna”, the object of her teacherAlejandro’s desire. Paula is also later mentioned in “Bautismo ausente”as the defunct narrator wonders whether she will receive his corpse atthe airport: “No me atrevía a suponer que Paula pudiera ir arecibirme”. 31 The age difference between the college professor andlover always becomes an issue and contributes to the behaviour of oneor both of the characters in the stories. 32 In “La tarde del encuentro”there are two teachers, Professors Valverde and Carrillo anddiscrepancies about the length of Valverde’s trip abroad resulting indoubt about the reality of his absence; “El esposo” is similar in thissense to “La tarde del encuentro” which in turn resonates with “Elincidente”. Set in Mexico City, the Panamanian protagonist is mistaken29 Whilst the term intertextuality would normally be used to refer to allusions to othertexts, a related kind of allusion is what might be called 'intratextuality' - involvinginternal relations within the text.30 “Es él” also appears in the category of Disabled Male Narrator in Appendix C.31 Jaramillo Levi, “Bautismo ausente” 147.32 The age difference however is not confined to students and teachers. Two storiesfrom Luminoso tiempo gris, “Domingo de lluvia” (LTG) (“mi marido, hombre mayor”[44]), and “Nada más” (era casi una nina cuando llegó a su vida, con él se hizo mujer[66]) share similar references.190