Magical Realism In Big Fish

Magical realism is a branch of fiction that is neither fantasy or escapist, like most or all fiction pieces it holds truth yet elements that do in fact make it fictional. These elements blend the magical elements seamlessly making them seem ordinary or realistic. These elements can be anything from mythical creatures to time being warped and are conveyed through characters, setting, and literary devices.

Metamorphosis, an element of magical realism is included into many pieces of work because of its ability to symbolize while seeming ordinary in the story. In the fantasy movie Big Fish directed by Tim Burton while working for the circus, the owner , Mr. Callaway, transforms into a werewolf one night and proceeds to attack Edward Bloom who in turn plays with it like a

typical dog. The metamorphosis occurs seamlessly because Edward Bloom is not worried about the fact of how he transforms, he accepts it immediately and instead deals with the situation instead of questioning it. The metamorphosis in this particular case can symbolize Mr. Callaway rude approach towards things but, also his soft side, shown by his enjoyment to play fetch with Edward. Another metamorphosis is in the fictional story, “ A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings,” (AVOMWEW) by Gabriel Marquez, in the story an old man who is assumed to be an angel is used as a carnival attraction for money and profit. In the story a woman whose body is turned into “a frightful tarantula...the size of a ram...with the head of a sad maiden,” steals the show; she was changed because she did not obey her parents causing her metamorphosis to occur(P10). A minor lesson gained from this is the importance of respect and obedience that should be given to parents. When she is introduced it is very abnormal and weird for readers however the characters in the story are more interested in seeing her than how she could/did transform. They accept her so much that they feed her meatballs as if it is a normal task. These factors help the magical realism element, metamorphosis, blend into the stories.
Time is a feature commonly twisted in stories of magical realism, the aspect of time doesn’t follow many or any rules at all. This is mostly shown in Big Fish when Edward Bloom sees his true love for the first time. This is a direct example of the saying “everything goes still when you see your true love.” This specific scene conveys the character's emotions and how strong they are. It also blends in the magical realism easily because Bloom isn’t confused at any point, instead he immediately focuses on finding his true love. In the fictional piece “The Night Face Up,” by Julio Cortazar readers see a man switch between the Aztec world and the modern world, later finding out that the Aztec world is the true one. This is included in the story to confuse the readers and let them ponder the two worlds. Using the narrator’s point of view and vocabulary this time warp is conveyed such as, describing a yellow bowl as, “a marvelous cup of golden soup.” This helps it blend in because it’s a slight difference that shows that the modern world is not the right one in a subtle manner. These elements create the magical realism easily and discretely.
In magical realism pieces ordinary objects taking life or moving is a not so subtle element but, an important one nonetheless. In the popular novel Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya the Tellez house is haunted by past spirits which “[lift] pots and pans , the dishes lift into the air,” and make other supernatural events occur (224). Characters such as Antonio, the Tellez family, and Antonio’s father do not think it is ordinary or normal however Ultima address the problem with ease without being flustered in the slightest. Because of this Antonio and his dad follow her orders without question fusing the reality of the situation and the supernatural events plus Ultima’s powers. Another example is in Big Fish when Edward is walking through the dark and mysterious forests alone when trees come to life and attack him. Despite being startled and trying to escape after the trees free him he continues on his path without examining how it was possible for the trees to do so. Ordinary objects moving or becoming alive is not a very sly element but, an important one nonetheless.
The tradition of passing legends, myths, fairy tales orally influences many stories which cleverly creates magical realism.In Big Fish Edward Bloom passes the stories full of magical realism to his family and anyone willing to listen.

He narrates most of the movie using influence from traditional stories such as giants, mermaids, witches and werewolves. While also including mythical and unordinary elementals like siamese twins which to them is ordinary. The charming personality of Edward Bloom combined with his behavior, the imagery he uses and the setting all easily blend the magical realism. In the novel Bless Me Ultima the book is narrated by Antonio as he is older, he is recounting the events of his childhood years with Ultima. The reader easily trusts Antonio’s narrations and history because of his innocence, thoughts, and wise personality. Thus Antonio being a trustworthy narrator it allows the blend of magical elements into the story such as those from legends of myths like the power of voodoo “dolls take life”, the spiritual powers of curanderos, and religious aspects such as the golden carp or God (101). These influences help the stories progress and create magical realism within

them.
Magical realism is a very intriguing sub genre that is sometimes hard to find. To most magical realism is just fantasy while to authors it is the real world, it is real to them. Elements such as time being warped, metamorphosis, and more all blend in the magical elements making the story fascinating for readers.