Magical Realism - 2274 Words

Two of the most widely recognized major contributors to Latin American Literature are Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude and Isabel Allende’s Eva Luna. Both are written in the genre of magical realism, a literary form that describes fantasy and imaginary events in such a way that it becomes believable and real to the reader. Specifically, these books describe the geopolitical turmoil of Latin America during the early twentieth century and the mid twentieth century; respectively, dealing with war, suffering and death. Although the authors are of different genders, both of these books are written from a feminist perspective and merge fantasy with reality by introducing the reader to myths, prophecies, and legends that†¦show more content†¦50). On the other hand, there were events that were truly magical, such as Father Nicanor Reyna’s levitation powers and flying carpets. As previously stated, these incidents make it difficult for the reader to distinguish the boundary between reality and fiction. Like One Hundred Years of Solitude, Eva Luna uses magical realism in an oppressed Latin American environment as a means of social change. The book starts out as a myth beginning with its title and character name. Evas name is symbolic itself. Eva, which means â€Å"life† and Luna, which is Spanish for moon is a symbol of the matriarchal power that women possess. The opening of the book places us in a world of magic to displace us from reality. â€Å"The mission was a small oasis in the heart of an expanse of voluptuous vegetation writhing and twisting from the banks of the river to the feet of the monumental geologic towers that rose toward the firmament like one of God’s mistakes† (Allende p. 2). In addition to Eva’s name being symbolic, her conception was brought about by magical realism. Eva was conceived as her Indian father lay dying from a venomous snake bite. Consuelo, Eva’s mother, became aware that notwithstanding pain, fear of death, and s hortness of breath, the gardener responded with ardent enthusiasm when she rubbed his body†¦that unexpected erection so moved her mature virgin’s heart†¦.† (Allende p. 18). Against the odds, he began toShow MoreRelatedEssay on Magical Realism1238 Words   |  5 PagesMagical Realism The idea of a genre of art that is called magical realism is less a trend than a tradition, an evolving genre that has its waxings and wanings, where each evolving form expresses an idea that may overlap another, yet at the same time branches off and creates something very different. What began in the visual arts has become a contemporary literary genre due to divergences. 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