The Metamorphosis of Space in Mario Bellatin's Salón de Belleza  Cover Image

La metamorfosis del espacio en Salón de Belleza de Mario Bellatin
The Metamorphosis of Space in Mario Bellatin's Salón de Belleza

Author(s): Petra Báder
Subject(s): Literary Texts
Published by: Editura Universităţii de Vest din Timişoara
Keywords: Mexican narrative; metamorphosis; space; microcosm; enclosure

Summary/Abstract: The following essay aims to analyse the representation of space in Salón de Belleza [Beauty Salon, 1994]. In Mario Bellatin’s novel, two separated, yet, due to the narrator’s figure, intertwined spaces are present at the same time: one space splitting into two, two spaces making one. This spinning structure is maintained throughout the narrative, complemented with three recurring motifs: the presence of aquariums, the presence of enclosed bodies, and the prefixed rules for those who may enter this closed microcosm. As a result, the continuous metamorphosis of space is not only limited to the transformation of the beauty salon into a Moridero (dying place), but it is also complemented with the aforementioned aspects, creating a world regulated by its own rules.

  • Issue Year: 2014
  • Issue No: 5
  • Page Range: 205-214
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: Spanish