Beyond the Limits of Constructed Identity: Teeth as Deleuzoguattarian Partial Objects in Edgar Allan Poe’s “Berenice”

Critics who attempt to linearize the behavior of Edgar Allan Poe’s narrator, Egaeus, in “Berenice,” limit the potential for his self-expression by focusing solely on his relationship with his cousin’s teeth. This article explores the complex dynamics between the narrator and various objects within the narrative, using the Deleuzoguattarian concept of partial objects. It argues that the narrator’s fixation on Berenice’s teeth is not driven by a monomaniacal obsession or a fetish for a single object. Instead, it represents his effort to disrupt the logocentric structures that limit his bodily potential. The study investigates the factors that seek to appropriate the narrator’s body, showcasing his struggle between an imposed monomaniacal identity and an unrelenting desire to explore the world. Additionally, it examines how teeth, as nomadic partial objects, deconstruct the perception of an organism as a cohesive entity and help the narrator contest his monomaniacal identity.