THE TUNNEL
The Tunnel (El túnel) is a dark, psychological novel written by Argentine writer
Ernesto Sabato about a deranged porteño painter, Juan Pablo Castel, and his
obsession with a woman. The story's title refers to the symbol for Castel's
emotional and physical isolation from society, which becomes increasingly
apparent as Castel proceeds to tell from his jail cell the series of events that
enabled him to murder the only person capable of understanding him. Marked by
its existential themes, El Túnel received enthusiastic support from Albert Camus
and Graham Greene following its publication in 1948.
PLOT SUMMARY
The main character introduces himself as "the painter who killed María Iribarne"
before delving into the circumstances that led to their encounter. Castel's
obsession begins in the autumn of 1946 when at an exhibition of his work he
notices a woman focusing on a subtle detail of his painting "Maternidad"
("Maternity"). He considers this observation significant since it is a detail that he
values as the most important aspect of the painting but to which nobody besides
him and the woman pay any attention.
Missing on approaching her before she leaves, he spends months obsessing over
her, thinking of ways to find her in the immensity of Buenos Aires, and fantasizing
about what to say to her.
After seeing her entering a building which he presumes to be her place of
employment, he considers how to ask her about the detail in the painting. He
approaches her and learns that her name is María Iribarne. Following their
discussion about the painting, they agree to meet again. Married to a blind man
named Allende, she lives on Posadas Street in the northern part of the city. As
Castel continues to see María, their relationship comes to be dominated by his
obsessive interrogations of her life with her husband, why she does not take her
husband's last name, and of her inner thoughts, questions she is unable to answer
to his satisfaction. Out of this disconnect, Castel's obsessive thoughts lead him to
all sorts of irrational doubts about the love he has come to believe they have for
one another.
The anxiety intensifies after a trip to a ranch in Mar del Plata owned by Allende's
cousin Hunter. The atmosphere, the presence and attitudes of the other visiting
relatives, and realizing Hunter's jealousy, all feed into Castel's paranoia, forcing
him to flee the ranch with little more than a word to the staff.
While waiting at a station to leave, Castel expects María to figure out he has left
and to come stop him. She never arrives, confirming his negative feelings. Upon
returning home to Buenos Aires, Castel passionately composes a hurtful letter,
accusing her of sleeping with Hunter, which he immediately regrets upon mailing
to her. He angrily but unsuccessfully attempts to convince a postal worker to
retract the certified letter and later concludes that fate has decided it should reach
its destination.
Later, Castel reaches María by phone: she reluctantly agrees to meet him, saying
that it will do little good and cause him more harm. When she does not arrive in
Buenos Aires, he decides she is a whore who cheats on her husband with him,
Hunter and others. In a fit of rage, he drives out to the ranch and waits hidden
outside for guests to leave. His anxiety grows to the point where he envisions
himself and María passing each other through life in parallel passageways or
tunnels, whereas he is "a single tunnel, dark and solitary: mine, the tunnel wherein
passed all my infancy, my youth, my entire life."
Castel enters the house, accuses María of leaving him alone in the world, and stabs
her to death.
Following the attack, Castel shows up to Allende's office to tell him he has
murdered María for sleeping with Hunter, only to discover Allende is aware of his
cuckold status. Crying out that Castel is a fool, Allende ineffectually tries to fight
Castel, who leaves and later turns himself in to the police.
