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A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, By Garcia Marquez

Decent Essays

Following the contemporary style of fiction, magical realism falls into a category of its own, portraying both the roles of fiction and nonfiction. Magical realism takes the reader into a fantastical world, shaped by the author, based on the author’s surroundings, and life experiences. This essay will provide more insight into this style of writing and how it came to be. Taking cited works from multiple sources, this essay will allow one to see examples of excellent works in the style of magical realism. From its origins, to the authors that made this style of writing popular, it will be informing to anyone looking to learn more about magical realism. Magical realism is similar to fantasy and science fiction, creating an imaginative and sometimes disturbing world. A perfect example of this is the short story of “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” written by Garcia Marquez in 1955. This story tells how Pelayo and his wife Elisenda find an old man with wings, who later in the story is found out to be an angel sent to heal their child. What’s interesting is that the society in the story was not afraid of the angel and even more so, Pelayo and Elisenda end up housing the old man, incorporating them into their very own …show more content…

It plays with the idea of the exploration of nature while limiting the reader’s knowledge of the novel through the presentation of specific political concerns. This interaction between these two characteristics sustains the reader through the novel by not providing a clear solution to whatever problem the reader encounters. American authors such as Karen Tei Yamashita, recipient of the American Book Award in 1990, writer of Circle K Cycles and Tropic of Orange, was famous for writing in the style of magical realism. The Tropic of Orange tells the story of seven major characters and how their lives connect through personal relationships through shared experiences and major

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