The Ethics of Perversion in Chuck Palahniuk's Novel Choke (La ética de perversión en la novella de Chuck Palahniuk Choke)

The paper analyses the concept of perversion in Chuck Palahniuk’s famous novel Choke. Flowing from the theory of Sigmund Freud who defined perversion as any sexual activity deviating from a hetero-normative sexual relation with a procreative aim, Chokeencompasses such types of sexual perversions as fetishism, voyeurism, sadism, homoeroticism, rape or promiscuity. As the major character, Victor Mancini, is a sexual addict who also performs a masturbatory act defined as auto-asphyxia, his sexual encounters could definitely be called perverse. However, the various examples of perversions by which the novel is entwined seem to be eschewed by Palahniuk’s readers who praise the novel greatly, leaving positive responses on online resources dedicated to the novel’s reception. By these means, one could state that perverse literature is perceived as ‘cool’ nowadays, having the power not only to normalize perversion, but even to make it aesthetic.Key words: Perversion, Palahniuk, Choke, Freud, ReceptionPalabras claves: Perversión, Palahniuk, Choke, Freud, Recepción