preview

Essay on The Life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez Exposed in His Works

Decent Essays

The Life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez Exposed in His Works

The majority of literary critics would not hesitate in praising the works

of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Garcia Marquez is often considered one of the

greatest writers to come out of Latin America. Born in Aracataca, a small

town in northern Columbia, he was primarily raised by his maternal

grandparents (Britannica). Biographies often indicate a presence of a large

community including an abundance of relatives when describing his upbringing

(Macondo). While he was surrounded by those who loved him he did not live

during a peaceful time in Columbian history (Macondo). His family and the

constant political turmoil of Columbia would …show more content…

He spent the majority of his adult life in Europe and Mexico

( Macondo). Garcia Marquez actually wrote his masterpiece One Hundred Years

of Solitude in Mexico, exiled from the conservative rule of dictatorial

leaders in Columbia(Garcia Marquez's Labyrinth).

This story is essentially a saga, telling the story of the creation

and growth of Macondo, a fictional town founded by the Buendia family. This

town deals with the arrival of gypsies, civil wars, strife and struggles

with the entrance into a global economy. Garcia Marquez incorporates these

important themes with fantasy tales-one describes a birth of a child between

an animal and human. Written within the genre of magic realism (a literary

style that "blends fantastic elements with realistic narrative") (Garcia

Marquez's Labyrinth), Garcia Marquez captures historical events by

essentially re-counting his own family history and influence with Columbian

history as a backdrop. These fantasy tales can be linked to the family

tradition of telling fantasy stories, fables and fairy tales (Review). As a

little boy, his grandparents told him countless stories which would have

been a major inspiration in this novel(Macondo). His grandmother also played

a role with her obsession with superstition and magic(Macondo). Garcia

Marques also learned of things mysterious through his grandfather. His

Get Access