Axolotl by Julio Cortázar
"Axolotl" is a short story by the Argentine author Julio Cortázar, centered on the deep fascination of an unnamed man for the axolotl, a unique salamander found in lakes near Mexico City. The narrative unfolds in an aquarium in Paris, where the man becomes enchanted by the axolotl's peculiar characteristics, including its external gills and striking eyes. As his visits to the aquarium increase, a profound connection develops, blurring the lines between observer and observed. The story takes a surreal turn when the narrator begins to project himself into the mind of the axolotl, reflecting themes of identity and transformation. Ultimately, the tale culminates in a shocking metamorphosis, as the man inexplicably turns into an axolotl, leading to questions about the nature of existence and empathy. Cortázar's exploration of this relationship invites readers to consider the boundaries between species and the depths of perception. This thought-provoking work engages with concepts of alienation and the human condition, making it a compelling piece within Latin American literature.
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Axolotl by Julio Cortázar
First published: 1956 (English translation, 1963)
Type of plot: Fantasy
Time of work: Spring during the 1950's
Locale: Paris, France
Principal Characters:
The narrator Axolotl , an aquatic salamander into which the narrator metamorphoses
The Story
An unnamed man living in Paris becomes fascinated by an axolotl, a creature that he observes in the aquarium of the Jardin des Plantes. (A salamander noted for its permanent retention of larval features, such as external gills, the axolotl, or axolote, is found in lakes near Mexico City, where it is considered edible.) Despite its association with the everyday, the creature gradually assumes a mysterious quality as the narrator's fascination with the animal intensifies. He visits the exhibit every day and feels a growing affinity between himself and the creature. His description of the axolotl is realistic (the axolotl is like a lizard, about six inches long, with a delicate fish tail and paws), but he adds some eerie details. The creatures have humanlike nails and eyes with unfathomable depth.
After the narrator describes the axolotl in the fourth paragraph of the story, the first hint appears that the affinity between him and the axolotl goes beyond that of a naturalist's love for the object of his study. Suddenly the narrator starts speaking in the first-person plural, as if he himself were an axolotl: "We don't like moving around too much, and the aquarium is so cramped; we hardly move and then we bang our tail or our head into another one of us; then we get problems, fights, tiredness. Time is less oppressive if we stay still." The narrator is projecting himself into the mind of the creature that he is observing; it is the first indication that he is slowly being sucked into the axolotl's universe.
As the narrative continues, it moves—more and more disconcertingly—between the objective eye of the human observer and the internal universe of the axolotl. The narrator goes on to describe his fascination with the creature's eyes, in which he glimpses a "sweet, terrible light" and "an unfathomable depth which made me dizzy." As he becomes intrigued by the idea that the axolotls are, deep down, human, he imagines that their eyes are telling him: "Save us, save us." He visits them religiously every day, behavior so odd as to cause the guard to take notice. The narrator cannot keep his mind off the animals; he starts dreaming about them, feeling that they are devouring him with their eyes.
Then the unthinkable happens. One day, as the narrator is pressing his face against the glass, looking into the eyes of an axolotl, he suddenly turns into one and sees his own, human face pressed against the glass instead of that of an axolotl. At this point the narrative takes a new tack by focusing on the narrator trapped within the body of an axolotl.
The last paragraph of the story is ambiguous; it raises the possibility that the narrator and the axolotl are the same person, leaving the reader wondering who is who. The man visits the aquarium less frequently now because "the bridges between him and me are broken." The narrator is consoled by the thought that perhaps the man will "write about us, that he will write all this about the axolotls down believing that he is imagining a story."