Magic realism, or magical realism, is a specific narrative mode in literature where unusual elements of magic and are mixed with real events. This technique allows deepening the general perception of reality. The usage of magic facilitates the understanding of the real world through its separation from illusive pictures. Magic realism is believed to be a kind of visual art genre in literature.
Why have I begun my essay with this definition? Because the two works in the further question are written in this very manner. I am going to analyze Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo and Gilgamesh by Herbert Mason. My research is devoted not only to examining them as two works of the same style but as two works containing a similar theme.
The plot of Pedro Paramo is unusual enough. The main character Juan was requested to search for his father. After her death, he comes to a deserted village. He finds out that it is full of dead voices. The echoes are only phantoms of the past that tell Juan about Pedro Paramo’s life. He also learns that feudal power existing there and an endless love finally led to the destroying of himself and his nation. Listening to their sorrow tales, Juan notices that his reality perception seems dreamlike.
Then he concludes that he is dead. As Echevarria notices, “Pedro Paramo is an intricately wrought novel that some have likened to Dante’s Inferno in its portrayal of sin” (Echevarria, 284). At the same time, it helps to reveal leading topics of the hour. Ghosts of the village cannot forget Pedro his actions. And when they tell the story about his crazy wife, they say “Poor don Pedro”. “No, Fausta, he deserves this. That and more” (Rulfo, 141).
The unfair and cruel attitude of Pedro Paramo is observed in family relationships as well. Mother says to Juan “make him pay, son, for all those years he put us out of his mind” (Rulfo, 12).
We can say, that Juan Preciado and his story about his father’s search is a modern embodiment of the story about Telemachus looking for Ulysses. But except for this philosophical context, there is also a more historical interpretation of Rolfo’s works. The author concentrated on serious social and political issues and the clearest way of their expression. In his novel, the total deconstruction of political power is observed. A sharp critique of the necessity of several economic and social reforms by the new bourgeoisie is also taken into account. As Smith points out “Pedro Paramo is one of the most powerful portraits of the “cacique” (the local political boss) to have emerged from Mexican literature” (Smith, 555).
Thus, we can conclude that beyond the theme of family links and philosophical search, the theme of national importance and tyranny is highlighted. The streets of the village are still echoed by the consequences of the previous time actions. In the meantime, the strong will to be with relatives is pointed out in the novel. “I came to Comala because I was told that my father, a certain Pedro Paramo, lived here” (Rulfo, 12).
The same theme of political power and its destructive influence on the nation is described in another literature work Gilgamesh by Herbert Mason, based on Sumerian mythology. The poem is written in the same style as the previous novel. Several episodes, Gilgamesh coming to the world of the dead, for instance, are similar as well. But the most important is another problem depicted in this work.
It is said that with the emergence of civilization began the so-called isolation of man from wild nature. This very theme comes sharply into focus in a story about Gilgamesh. The increasing level of urbanization is reflected in the new technique of house building, the appearance of hierarchy in society, etc. As the citizens observed boundaries between them and nature grow, as they felt their king be the most powerful person invincible before his enemies. Knowing his tyrannical nature, they acknowledged his significance.
Here we see the tension existing within the nation of Gilgamesh as a result of his tyranny. This tyranny overfilled him completely: “sometimes he pushed his people half to death with work rebuilding Uruk’s walls” (Mason, 16).
Unlike all positive heroes, Gilgamesh is depicted as a restless person. He has to make a long strange journey to fulfill a great mission. He is described as an ordinary human but he is two-thirds god. Because of the divine part, Gilgamesh has to observe, learn everything, and understand everything from the point of view of a person.
It should be said that the process of character changing is quite long and complicated. Gilgamesh was a tyrant. The tyrant who made his people groan under his cruel demands. This we can see in the text.
As king, Gilgamesh was a tyrant to his people.
He demanded from an old birthright,
The privilege of sleeping with their brides
Before the husbands were permitted (Mason, 12).
Sometimes character change happens too late. And all the previous tyrannical actions are more remembered by people suffered cruel attitude. As one wise man said, the only thing that separates humans from the beast is morality. Without morality, it does not matter if the person is alive or dead.
In conclusion, I would like to say that tyranny is the severest and the most unfair policy regime. It cannot be justified for any reason. It does not have any reasonable premises to exist because even the most disobeying nation has moral principles based on equity, freedom, kindness, and love. No respect can be achieved through the deterrence of other people. Juan Rulfo and Herbert Mason proved this point of view in their works.
Bibliography
Echevarria, Roberto Gonzalez. The Oxford Book of Latin American Short Stories. Oxford University Press US, 1999.
Mason, Herbert. Gilgamesh: a Verse Narrative. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003.
Rulfo, Juan. Pedro Paramo. University of Texas Press, 2002.
Smith, Verity. Concise Encyclopedia of Latin American Literature. Taylor & Francis, 2000.