The Clamp is a short story written by Emilia Pardo Bazán. It tells the story of a young man named Juan who is forced to marry a woman he does not love due to his family's financial problems. Despite his initial reluctance, Juan eventually falls in love with his wife and they have a child together.
However, Juan's happiness is short-lived as his wife falls ill and dies, leaving him devastated. In his grief, Juan becomes obsessed with the idea of preserving his wife's beauty and decides to embalm her body. He keeps her body in a glass case in his home, where he spends hours gazing at her preserved beauty.
As time passes, Juan's obsession with his dead wife grows and he becomes increasingly isolated from the outside world. Eventually, his neighbors become suspicious of his behavior and report him to the authorities. When the police arrive at Juan's home, they discover the macabre truth of his actions and arrest him.
The Clamp is a chilling tale of love, obsession, and the destructive power of grief. It serves as a cautionary reminder of the dangers of letting our emotions consume us to the point of madness.