THE AVATAR IN PANAMA - Theses - Flinders University

3.2 Double Whammy: Mixed Doubles The Avatar in Panamaacecha, que escruta, que vigila. O al revés, que es mirado oacechado”. 47 Evidently this is reflected, particularly in Duplicaciones, bythe use of the word acecho and its derivatives. There is always adivision, an internal conflict waging inside the character. Before anytype of doubling, metamorphosis, personality fragmentation, orbreakdown takes place the characters often undergo what at firstappear to be paranoid feelings of being pursued or stalked. Hischaracters then may experience increasing dread and fear. Theybelieve they are losing control over their own actions, thoughts andgeneral functioning to an invisible force (algo ajeno de mi control), aspontaneous impulse (ráfagas incontrolables), or a persistentimperceptible presence (la presencia que no me deja vivir). There arereferences to these three entities throughout his fiction. 48The protagonists somehow know that something is about todescend upon them but they are powerless in the face of it. They areoften stunned into inaction and experience premonitions,presentiments, and possess the capacity to foresee. Consequentlythere is an inalterable and insidious sentiment of inevitability. Followingthis, there comes a point where the protagonist, or characterexperiencing the identity crisis, questions his or her sanity or sensorycapabilities and undergoes a loss of reason. 49There is language common to transformations and alterations.Characters are duplicating and metamorphosing. The languageconcerning metamorphosis and transformation is quite marked inJaramillo Levi’s fiction. Particularly in the case of a projected or mirrorimage double, the second self is usually inadvertently called upon orconjured up by the character in question. 50Before the character undergoes their metamorphosis, theyexperience an extreme sharpening even an exaggerated sensitivity ofthe senses. 51 Mostly but not always in the instances of objectificationthe character loses the human edge by literally solidifying orendureciendo, and on occasion experiencing a tremor or mareo ordizziness. The noun rigidez is used to describe the result of thisphenomenon. The majority of these stories feature the verbsconvertirse or integrarse and their derivatives which make clear ametamorphosis is occurring. There are also references to otherlanguage linked to the idea of a stage or process: etapas, cambios,47 Romero Pérez, “Un escritor de largo aliento” 103.48 For a complete list of instances in the text see Appendix C Recurring Words andPhrases.49 See Appendix C xvi.50See Appendix C Llamando el doble.51 See Appendix C Amplificación198