Delirium: Analysis of Major Characters
"Delirium: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the complexities of familial relationships and personal traumas that contribute to mental instability, particularly through the character of Agustina Londoño. Agustina, the young wife of Aguilar, grapples with her past, marked by signs of bipolar disorder and emotional upheaval stemming from her affluent yet dysfunctional family. Aguilar, a devoted husband and former literature professor, seeks to understand Agustina's delirium by investigating her family's troubled history, ultimately leading to insights that aid in her recovery. The narrative also examines the roles of other significant characters, such as Sofi, Agustina’s nurturing aunt, and Midas, her former lover entangled in the drug trade, who both reflect on the impact of Agustina's familial ties and personal choices. Additionally, the character dynamics extend to Agustina's brothers—Joaco, who follows a path of crime, and Carlos Jr., who suffers from childhood trauma induced by their father, Carlos Vicente Londoño Sr., known for his oppressive masculinity and infidelity. The story intricately weaves themes of guilt, denial, and the quest for understanding and healing within a family marked by mental health challenges. This exploration invites readers to reflect on how personal and collective histories shape individuals and their mental health journeys.
Delirium: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Laura Restrepo
Alternate Title: Delirio
First published: 2004 (English translation, 2007)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Bogotá, Colombia; Sasaima, Colombia
Plot: Psychological fiction
Time: 1983
Agustina Londoño, the beautiful, pale, and privileged young wife of Aguilar. She is the misfit of her wealthy family and takes pleasure in being an eccentric troublemaker. Before her mental breakdown, she exhibited signs of bipolar disorder. Agustina enjoys experimenting with tarot cards and the I Ching, and since she was young, she has claimed prescience. Her troubled past and the emotional trauma she experienced as a youth has likely led to her delirium. The Londoño family has repressed their family issues for years, internalizing serious problems such as infidelity and cruelty, which has led to confusion and strong feelings of guilt in Agustina. She begins to perform cleansing rituals on objects around her house after her breakdown and frequently goes into rages aimed at Aguilar.
Aguilar, a middle-aged former literature professor who has been reduced to selling Purina dog food for a living after student protests led to cutbacks. He is a Marxist and an atheist who is strongly devoted to his wife, Agustina. After a four-day business trip, he returns home to find that his wife has suffered a mental breakdown. He desperately tries to pinpoint the source of her delirium, talking to her relatives and investigating her troubled family history. By piecing together his wife's family history, he realizes he should have been asking important questions all along. He feels guilty about this, but in the end, his inquiry helps Agustina recover.
Sofi, Agustina's free-spirited aunt. After Agustina's mental breakdown, she moves in with Aguilar to help care for Agustina. In the past, she had an affair with Agustina's father, Carlos. She was a highly sensual woman at the time and later became a strongly maternal woman. Despite her memory loss, Agustina recognizes Sofi by a hat with a goose feather on it, which Sofi has owned for years. Sofi says that she always knew Agustina would have a breakdown. She aids Agustina in her cleansing rituals around the house.
Midas McAlister, a former lover of Agustina. Dashing and street-smart, he launders money for Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar through a fitness club called the Aerobics Center. Although he has been absent from Agustina's life for many years, he understands the roots of her mental instability. When he was in a relationship with Agustina, he helped the Londoño family increase their wealth through the drug trade. He despises the hypocritical rich families in government who look down on him but welcome the drug money. He abandoned Agustina after she became pregnant.
Carlos Vicente “Bichi” Londoño Jr., the younger brother of Agustina. He has dark, curly hair and pale skin. As a youth, he was persistently beaten by his father because of his effeminate demeanor. Agustina tried to protect him from their father through rituals involving robes, chanting, and her power of foresight; however, these rituals frightened him. Eventually, the brutality became too much for him, and he spitefully exposed his father's infidelity to the rest of the family before running away to Mexico to live with a boyfriend and Aunt Sofi.
Joaquín “Joaco” Londoño, Agustina's older brother. With his yellow eyes and bushy eyebrows, Joaco resembles their father. He was their father's favorite son, and Carlos Sr. was happy as long as Joaco did well in school and was a strong soccer player. Joaco grew up to work for Pablo Escobar alongside Midas.
Carlos Vicente Londoño, Agustina's father. A vicious and overly macho individual with a large nose, he was a tough and stern father who favored his elder son, Joaquín, over his younger son, Carlos Jr. When Agustina was young, Carlos had an affair with his sister-in-law, Sofi, which eventually led to the deterioration of the Londoño family. His affair was a major catalyst for Agustina's mental problems.
Eugenia Londoño, Agustina's mother. She was a cold and patient woman with curly hair and a slender body who relished the finer things that wealth bought the Londoño family, such as expensive clothing and perfume. Oftentimes she would manipulate the truth about their family problems in order to maintain the family's status and image among the upper class. These lies weakened Agustina's already unstable mental state.
Blanca Portulinus, Agustina's grandmother. She is an anxious woman who met her husband, Nicholas, when she was one of his piano students. They married when she became pregnant after Nicholas may have forced himself on her. After Nicholas drowned, she denied that anything was wrong in her household. Her powers of denial may have been passed down to Eugenia.
Nicholas Portulinus, Agustina's grandfather. A German immigrant, he was a delusional man who suffered from dementia. He was the founder of the family fortune as well as a talented composer and piano instructor who exhibited many eccentricities. His mental problems may have driven him to suicide by drowning.
Spider Salazar, an overweight and wealthy friend of Midas who became paralyzed and impotent after drunkenly falling off a horse. His accident drove him into depression and self-loathing. After Spider becomes paralyzed, Midas and his friends attempt to provide Spider a sexual experience, which leads to the accidental death of a prostitute.