The imaginary constructions of Léo, aged 20, are all-mighty and protective war machines that play out in dystopian narratives. They reveal the underlying presence of an influencing machine that has something paranoid and threatening for the pubertary. In tension with this influencing machine, Léo’s “de-influencing machine” tends to counter and reverse the destructive drives and support the groundwork for a unified body image.

Adolescence, 2026, 44, 1, 115-127.