Latin American culture and the use of magical realism
““Death Constant Beyond Love,” by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez,
“And of Clay Are We Created,” by Isabel Allende
This week’s readings centered around Latin American literature and focused on literary elements like the use of magical realism. The cultural theme from this week’s readings intertwined fate and the finality of death. Through literary elements, each author placed an emphasis on how choices can lead to different outcomes but in the end, what is meant to happen, will happen. In “The Garden of Forking Paths” the use of magical realism is seen. In “And of Clay Are We Created”, this short story is about a little girl who is unable to be saved but there is a sense of peace and acceptance despite her fate.
STUDENT ACTIVITY
Have the students desks arranged in a circle to promote discussion easier. Once students are in their desks, give them a blank piece of paper and have them create origami’s of choice. Throw out some ideas like paper airplanes and butterflies. This is a fun activity and will help the students visualize parts from in “Death Constant Beyond Love” After they are finished with the origami, read the short story with the students. Have each student go around the circle and read a passage. This will promote public speaking skills and ensures every student is reading along.
“Death Constant Beyond Love,” by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez,
Much of Garcia-Marquez’s short story was a facade. The short story is about “The Senator” who is told he only has six months left to live. The Senator struggles to make sense of his life and he is faced with a decision during the story. A decision of choosing temptation or not. However, the temptation is a double edged sword. The Senator is a very lonely man even though he has a family and created a nice life. Garcia-Marquez was going to be met with death soon, and it was inevitable. This theme was recurring throughout the story, no matter what decision he made. The Senator created this life through lies and with the use of paper structures. Paper buildings that represent false promises. The story is enchanting and almost is dreamlike. Garcia-Marquez creates this effect through magical realism. “As he spoke his aides threw clusters of paper birds into the air and the artificial creatures took on life, flew about the platform of planks, and went out to sea” (Puchner, 2013) This quote represents one example of the use of magical realism used within the story. This quote will need to be focused on and bring the students attention back to the origami they did. A pop culture comparison that can be made is to The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie. It is a movie based on the fantasy novels by Cassandra Clare. There is a heavy use of magic throughout the story to create facades and separate reality from this world within a world. The scene below is when the main character Clary can see one of the “shadowhunters” despite the fact that she should not be able to.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Ask the students these questions through the use of raising their hands and calling on different students. Ask students to jot down their answers or ideas on note paper.
- The use of magical realism throughout the story is prevalent, can you say where you see another example of the use of it?
- There is a sense of finality because The Senator knows his death is coming. Do you think he would have still been led to temptation with the young girl if he had not been on limited time?
- In the movie scene, Clary is able to see Jace. Jace had been using a “facade.” Can you make a comparison to Garcia-Marquez’s story about the use of “facades” ?
“And of Clay Are We Created,” by Isabel Allende
“And of Clay Are We Created” is based on a true story about a little named Omayra Sanchez who died after being stuck because of a mudslide. Isabel Allende recreates Omayra’s story using literary elements like magical realism to create a short story that emphasized the issue of media saturation in society and its negative effect. In Allende’s short story, a young girl is stuck after a mudslide. A rescuer and his lover are the main character in Allende’s short story and the rescuers lover recounts the experience through her eyes. The young girl becomes the center of national attention due to her rescue attempt. Allende uses magical realism in the story to tell the tale. Technology was how Allende used magical realism within the story. “But on the night of that third day, beneath the unblinking focus of quartz lamps and the lens of a hundred cameras, Azucena gave up, her eyes locked with those of the friend who had sustained her to the end.” (Puchner, 2013) Much like in real life, there was a disconnect between the viewer and Azucena. The media wanted to plaster her face all over the news but nobody was able to connect with Azucena or get the life-saving help she needed before it was too late. A pop culture comparison that can be made is in the movie “Her” starring Joaquin Phoenix. The main character in the movie falls in love with a computer operating system. Society is so connected to technology and media that it grows further and further from reality and the physical world. Beyond that, the lack of real human emotion is smothered by technology in both Allende’s story and the movie “Her.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Ask each student how much time they spend per day on their phones, computers or watching TV. After this, ask them to write down ways they can communicate without using technology.
- Technology is the focus of Allende’s story. It pushes everything and everyone else away further from getting the little girl the help she needs. Rolf’s lover felt desperation to find help for the little girl. Could they have spent more time getting help before they pulled the camera’s out? Why do you think they were so quick to post her photo everywhere but not use that same attention, to get her help?
- What emotion is the most prominently felt through Allende’s story? Fear? Desperation? Ignorance?
ASSIGNMENT OPTIONS
CREATE A NEW WORLD
Option one:
Write a short story using magical realism centered around fate. Create a new world that is fictional. Choose one main character for the story and create a scenario for the character centered around choices and fate. Make sure to include two to three uses of magical realism within the story.
COMMUNICATE WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY
Option two:
(Assign students to partner)
Write a letter to a fellow classmate for the next three days. Exchange letters back in forth to each other. Letter’s must be a paragraph long at minimum. Talk about emotion and other forms of expression that are often lost in technology.
WORKS CITED
“Death Constant Beyond Love” The Norton Anthology of World Literature, edited by Martin Puchner, Shorter 3rd ed., Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 2013.
“And of Clay Are We Created” The Norton Anthology of World Literature, edited by Martin Puchner, Shorter 3rd ed., Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 2013.
