Abstract

SARDINAS-FERNANDEZ, José-Miguel. Fantastic supernatural in “La celda” by Amparo Dávila: an interpretation in vampire code. Acta univ [online]. 2019, vol.29, e2005.  Epub Dec 01, 2019. ISSN 2007-9621.  https://doi.org/10.15174/au.2019.2005.

The objective of this article is to detect the presence of supernatural fantastic elements, specifically those of vampirism, in the short story “La celda” (Tiempo destrozado, 1959), by the Mexican writer Amparo Dávila (Pinos, Zacatecas, 1928). This article is divided into two parts. The method followed in the first one has been the identification of rhetoric conventions frequently found in fantastic texts in aspects such as the characterization of the principal characters, the represented time, the Gothic setting and other traits; while a comparison of this short story with fragments of Bram Stoker’s Dracula has been made in the second part. As a result, it is possible to say that “La celda” is a fantastic short story and it may be read as a vampiric text.

Keywords : Mexican short story XXth century; fantastic short story; supernatural in literature; Amparo Dávila; vampires.