Q-....use of magical realism..???

Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel “Chronicle of a Death Foretold”, first

published in English in 1982, is one of the Nobel Prizewinning author's
shorter novels, but past and current critics agree that the book's small size
hides a huge work of art. According to Jonathan Yardley in Washington
Post Book World, “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” "is, in miniature, a
virtuoso performance”.
The novel’s ahistorical quality is in fact typical of Marquez’s work, whose
ambiguous settings and magical elements produce a vision of Latin
American history that is mythic and universal, rather than strictly factual.
With that said, there are a few general historical conditions that warrant
consideration. Colombia’s long history of social stratification and wealth
disparity—vestiges of colonial rule—comes into full view with the arrival of
Bayard San Roman, whose wealthy, urban upbringing makes him an alien
to the rural townspeople. Further, the widespread influence of Catholicism
in South American culture is important to remember while reading this
novel.
The book's power lies in the unique way in which Garcia Marquez relates
the plot of a murder about which everyone knows before it happens. A
narrator tells the story in the first person, as a witness to the events that
occurred. Yet the narrator is recounting the tale years later from an
omniscient point of view, sharing all of the characters' thoughts. Garcia
Marquez’s use of this creative technique adds to the mystery of the murder.
In addition, the repeated foretelling of the crime helps build the suspense.
Even though the murderers' identities are known, the specific details of the
killing are not.
Besides its unusual point of view, the book’s themes also contribute to its
success. The question of male honor in Latin American culture underlies
this story of passion and crime. As in other Garcia Marquez works, there is
also an element of the supernatural: dreams and other mystical signs
ominously portend the murder. Garcia Marquez’s artistry in combining
these elements led critic Edith Grossman to say in Review, “Once again
Garcia Marquez is an ironic chronicler who dazzles the reader with
uncommon blendings of fantasy, fable, and fact.”
Also, the use of magical realism is one of determinant factors affecting the
narrative. It distinguishes Marquez writing style. In the novel Chronicle of a
Death Foretold, the function of magical realism is rather obvious. The
author aims at depicting reality in contrast to mysticism. It is quite a
masterful way to satirize and reflect upon the most problematic aspects of
the Latin American society.
Seemingly, magical realism in the author’s writing style manifests itself in
different components that determine such a genre. Firstly, it is essential to
highlight the elements of magical realism that Marquez uses in Chronicle of
a Death Foretold. Among the evident ones, the reader may find the traces
of dreams’ interpretations, exaggeration, and different magical ideas. The
role of dreams in the novel and the character of Placida Linero, the mother
of Santiago Nasar, fully embrace the notion of magical realism. Apart from
his mother, the reader experiences a great deal of exaggeration in the
novel. The best example to back up this idea is perhaps the amount of
letters that Angela Vicario wrote to Bayardo San Roman. The latter one is a
character that brings changes into the town and ruins the order. He is a
man who marries Angela Vicario and brings troubles to her family. His
image is very mysterious. Marquez puts an emphasis on the essence of his
deeds. Placida Linero affirms that there is something strange and even
demonizing about him. In addition, at the beginning of the novel, we notice
the image of trees that may be also considered as some magical elements.
The bizarre and extraordinary tone of the novel proves that magical realism
is applied with the aim of ridiculing the society. It brings us to the
assumption that the author harmoniously combines the form and the
content. However, according to Pelayo, he puts an emphasis on the
technique. It is the peculiarity of postmodern writers. One should also take
into account the author’s ironic attitude to the crime that has been best
interpreted by Gioia: “The holy grail of crime fiction is the perfectly planned
murder, a killing so smartly conceived and efficiently executed that no trace
of the perpetrator can be found” (n. p.). In the above-mentioned abstract,
by reviewing the book, the critic sheds light on the writer’s humorous irony
that is also an influential factor of magical realism.
To sum up the information mentioned above, it is evident that Chronicle of
a Death Foretold is a novel that preserves the effects of magical realism.
The style of the author is captivating owing to his masterful use of stylistic
devices and an appropriate narrative structure. The story is considered to
be metafictional due to the reason that it is highly satirical, psychological
and even Biblical, to some extent. It can be also interpreted as a detective
story because of the crime being the basis for speculations. The allusions
that the writer provides are the guides to his main points and ideas. Magical
realism is displayed by the means of magical elements, exaggeration, and
the role of dreams. Presumably, the use of irony and satire show the
author’s attitude to the Latin American society, in general. Magical realism
is a striking tool by means of which the writer achieves the desired effect.

☆Bibliography:-
• Transparency and Illusion in Garcia Marquez' "Chronicle of a Death
Foretold", Randolph D. Pope, jstor

• www.exclusivethesis.com
• iosrjournals.org