Light is Like Water as Magical Realism Essay - 1089 Words

Light is Like Water as Magical Realism Latin author Gabriel Garcia Marquez has written many short stories and novels that are considered to be Magical Realism. Some of these works are The Ghosts of August, One Hundred Years of Solitude, A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, and Light Is Like Water. In Light Is Like Water (December 1978), the use of various fantastic elements along with the realist elements is what defines this story as Magical Realism. The exclusive magical element of Light Is Like Water is light because Toto and Joel use it as water. The use of light as water comes into use when Marquez says that the light begins to pour out of the broken light bulb (158) Light†¦show more content†¦To achieve this effect, Marquez also uses the characteristic of de-familiarization of the skin-diving outfits to allow the boys to go diving into the light. The light having the physical properties of water happens when a metaphor becomes real (Faris 176). The metaphor that Im speaking of is when Toto asks Marquez why the light went on with the touch of a switch (158). Marquez answers the boy by saying, Light is like water. You turn the tap and out it comes (158) This characteristic allows the brothers to row on top of the light as if it is water. The use of light as water is an example of the closeness or near-merging of two realms, two worlds (Faris 172). The two realms that I speak of are the realm of reality and the realm of the imaginary. This element becomes obvious when the two brothers filled the apartment to depth of two fathoms, dove like tame sharks under the furniture, including the beds, and salvaged from the bottom of the light things that had been lost in darkness for years (159). The reaction of Marquez to this event is the reaction of acceptance. This is evident because Marquez describes the scenes as though he had witnessed the events that took place. Also, the ending helps show this acceptance when he states that the: apartment had flooded, and twoShow MoreRelatedMagical Realism In A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings By Gabriel Marquez895 Words   |  4 PagesMagical Realism Essay While this genre in itself is an oxymoron, it can be defined as a genre of writing where magical or spectacular elements are introduced to a realistic and culturally accurate setting whose characters accept these events as part of their lives. Some of the genre’s defining characteristics are magical events are set in an ordinary world with historic and cultural realities but there is no logic or reasoning behind the event. 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