Resumen: In this article, we present an analysis of urban imaginaries that emerges from the novels and dramatic texts starring Emile Dubois. For this, we propose that the mode of representation of Valparaíso seems to be dominated by the threat of "aquarium", that is, that of a city permanently fenced by water, which, in addition, seems to be marked by an unfortunate fate, especially, for the catastrophes. In the face of destructive potential, the joyful sense of Valparaíso rises as a form of resistance against adversity. Using theoretical resources from the literary theory, theater studies, anthropology, and history, it is shown that the texts inspired by Dubois account for the beginning of the decadence of Valparaíso.