exual imprisoned for eight years for seducing a minor (Puig 105), and Valentin, a political prisoner and social activist with whom he shares a cell. The manifest content of the conversation is dominated by Molina's narration of the plot of movies he has seen and discussion of the movies with Valentin. Molina does most of the talking, and the whole effect of the conversation is the growth of comity between the prisoners. Molina reveals something of the lifestyle angst associated with his homosexuality. Periodically, however, he asks questions deliberately designed to encourage Valentin, who describes himself as a Marxist involved in political struggle (27-8) to reveal personal details about himself and his fellow activists. The unsuspecting Valentin provides such details, including the fact that he and his colleagues use elaborate codes to further their work under the repressive regime.
That, of course, is the narrative core of action: Molina has made a deal with the rightist government to obtain information about Valentin and his associates in exchange for a reduced sentence. This is confirmed, although elliptically, when the dialogue between Molina and Valentin is interrupted by presentation of interviews between "Prisoner," or Molina, and "Warden," who wants a report about what "headway" Molina is making with Valentin (150).
Also breaking up conversational narrative are italicized passages representing dreams and private thoughts of Molina and Valentin. For Molina, these passages initially reveal his solipsism, as well as duplicity and contempt for the Marxist cellmate; however, over the course of the imprisonment, Molina comes to like Valentin and develops something of a conscience, or at any rate wants Valentin to have positive regard for him. That Valentin sexually serves him, possi
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