Animalized Others in El lugar sin límites

Abstract

José Donoso’s novel El lugar sin límites is a fictional portrayal of a small agrarian town in Chile in the midst of transformation. The end of the novel suggests that the outdated landowning system will soon be replaced by the emerging middle class, but it is also clear that traditional, reductive categories of economics, gender and sexuality will remain in place. This article explores Donoso’s use of animal symbolism depicting don Alejo as a rooster, La Manuela as both a female dog and hen, and Pancho as a violent dog. The repeated use of symbols serves as a way of calling attention to the hierarchy of the town and the “othering” of marginal characters including La Manuela, the homosexual transvestite, and the other prostitutes in the brothel. Many of the male characters, and especially Pancho, are depicted as dogs that mistreat the prostitutes and ultimately punish Manuela’s transgressions. Overall the novel serves as a metaphor of hell on earth for those marginal figures who fall outside of the conventional expectations defined by the powerful figure of don Alejo.