The Metamorphosis Of The «Shkin-Self» And Of The Empty/Invaded Body Through The Narrative Of The Inusual In Paulette Jonguitud Acosta’s «Midelw»

Abstract

Didier Anzieu's psychoanalytical concept of the «skin-self» and the notions about the body of Jean-Luc Nancy and Judith Butler offer an excellent theoretical approach for the analysis of the metamorphosis of Constanza, the protagonist of Paulette Jonguitud Acosta's Mildew (2010), allowing us to explore the narrative resources of a recent modality called the «narrative of the unusual». In this new category, the unusual element plays an important role in the recreation of an interior space projected outwards. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to show how subjectivity, skin and body are related in a literary manifestation of such unique characteristics. The invasion of mildew on Constanza's skin opens a window to the contemplation of the existential disorder in which she lives as an alienated subject. This circumstance finds its most significant mode of expression through the narrative of the unusual.