Myth and Magic: Realism in "One Hundred Years of Solitude"

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Recommended: Importance of personal narrative

“He enjoyed his grandmother's unique way of telling stories. No matter how fantastic or improbable her statements, she always delivered them as if they were the irrefutable truth” (Wikipedia, 2011). Experiences are particular instances of one personally encountering or undergoing something and in these moments of time life changes for the best or the worst and memories are formed. These recollections such as riding your first bicycle, going to the seventh grade or even listening to the many stories your grandmother use to tell could be a heartbreaking or breathtaking experience. Most people, depending on the situation, dance around these moments just like Gabriel Garcia Marquez did in One Hundred Years of Solitude. The discovery of storytelling was an awe-inspiring experience – one that the many readers of his books would proudly contest. One Hundred Years of Solitude is an excellent book, a book that adds an interesting twist to the normal sequence of writing as it takes us through a series of concepts such as allotment, perseverance, myth and magic realism. The latter two although very well intertwined in the book provide a sense of mystery and fantasy. In my opinion, they are what make One Hundred Years of Solitude the novel it is today.

Just as we have learned to tell lies, fibs or even change one word in our concept, once believed or even questioned, we have become great storytellers. Most stories that are told are of mythical nature. They intend to inform, to surprise, to create or even to inspire. So, what is a myth? According to dictionary.com, myth is a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especia...

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...condo. With life’s differences comes the beauty of life and with the beauty of life so it was written, One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Works Cited

"Gabriel Garcia Marquez." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 1 Dec. 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2011.

García, Márquez Gabriel. One Hundred Years of Solitude. New York: Harper & Row, 1970. Print.

MacEwan, Michelle. "The Power of Myth and Storytelling: Part 5 – The Sustenance of Myth." Http://www.michellemacewan.com. Michelle MacEwan Trust, 31 July 2009. Web. 2 Dec. 2011.

"Magic Realism." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Random House Inc., 2011. Web. 02 Dec. 2011.

Moore, Lindsey. "Magical Realism." Http://english.emory.edu. 1998. Web. 2 Dec. 2011.

"Myth." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Random House Inc., 2011. Web. 02 Dec. 2011.

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