This surreal story by Julio Cortázar is in the form of a letter from an Argentinean man to a friend who has allowed him to stay in her apartment while she is visiting Paris. His concerns about disrupting the compact order of her rooms become a reality when, on the point of moving in, he vomits up a tiny rabbit. This is normally an occasional occurrence, but ten more bunnies pop out over the following weeks. As they grow and begin to trash the place, he contemplates drastic action. Themes include phobia (about moving), obsession (with orderliness), depression, alienation, despair.
It is interesting to contemplate the symbolism of rabbits, and why the eleventh rabbit tips the protagonist over edge. Some see the rabbits as symbolizing time, a countdown to twelve until the owner returns and possibly, at thirteen, he must amble off to some other house. In a similar vein, my take is that they symbolize increasing panic attacks due to a phobia about having to move on. The man, who lives on “the outskirts”, has no permanent residence in the city. He has spent so much time moving from place to place that his valise straps looked as though they were parts of a whip that flogs me. The thought of another move when the woman returns may be too much to bear.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (3,700 words)