The starting points of the work are several stories from the 19th century, in which the figure of the double is addressed to invite an analysis (psychiatric, psychological or philosophical) of the search for women's identity in contemporary society.

 

Through Rebeca Martín López's doctoral thesis on "Las manifestaciones del doble en la narrativa breve española contemporánea" and several articles by Inés Marcos Lantero and Manuel Arboccó de los Heros, the piece explores some of their theories on the possible types of doubling and its consequences.

 

"The double materializes the dark side of the human being, the sad aspects that the individual banishes to the oblivion of his daily life. In this process, there is also a social component that exerts a suffocating pressure on the 'original' individual: it is a confrontation between the Self (with all its deep and often unspeakable longings, struggling to materialize) and the Duty (what society or the law expects of us)".

Rebeca Martin Lopez.

 

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"The possibility of encountering ourselves causes dread. No one is better than oneself to unravel what we hide. The double is not only called to deprive the original of his identity but also forces the original to face his most irrational side. It is an omen of doom.

 

The confusion or dissolution of identity caused by the appearance of the double makes it impossible to distinguish the reality of these mysterious visits. The alternative incarnations of the same individual coexist in the same fictional world. The ultimate unknown will be to discover which of the duplicates is the original.

 

Sometimes, it is not mandatory to experience a dramatic situation to unfold oneself. Faced with the embarrassment of rejection, for example, for a special meal, the personality can break down. As a result of that instant, a violent internal struggle confronts the individual with reality.

 

Lacking this solid consistency that allows them to take sides, the interpreters will let the 'Trojan horse' into their lives, without suspecting that the consequence of not doing anything to prevent it will be the definitive loss of their identity".

Manuel Arboccó de los Heros.