Pedro Paramo is an excellent depiction of the literature referred to as magical realism. Magical realism attempts to incorporate fantasy and reality into one by using fantasy to help "untangle" the elements of reality. Pedro Paramo incorporates the elements of magical realism, most noticeably through the concept of time and death.
Time is something that is imperative to the text. Juan Rulfo centers the story around two concepts of time: the present journey of Juan Preciado and the past life of Pedro Paramo. There is an often seamless transition between these two time frames, that provides background and character to the novel. Through the manipulation of time the reader is exposed to both a background to the town and the present journey of Preciado.
Death is a fundamental piece to this text. Rulfo illustrates the town where Pedro Paramo lived and that Juan Preciado is traveling to in a unique manner. Through the use of time, Rulfo describes Comala both during the time of Paramo and during the journey of Juan Preciado. There is a definitive overlap between the two as Juan Preciado encounters many people who are deemed "dead" that help better illustrate the town and the life of Pedro Paramo. When Preciado dies in the text, it switches to the life of Pedro Paramo. Death is again looked at very intently even after Preciado dies and it switches to one time setting. When someone in this text dies, a similar process is revealed to take place regardless of who the person is that dies. We see through Rulfo's writings that there appears to be some corruption and hypocrisy in the church. The priest who is viewed as God's intermediary is in fact a sinner himself. His job is to act as a means of God and yet father Renteria is described as emotionally biased and a sinner himself. The text is deeply rooted in the importance of life, death, and the afterlife and possesses a multitude of examples depicting this.
Pedro Paramo is an excellent depiction of the literature referred to as magical realism. Magical realism attempts to incorporate fantasy and reality into one by using fantasy to help "untangle" the elements of reality. Pedro Paramo incorporates the elements of magical realism, most noticeably through the concept of time and death.
ReplyDeleteTime is something that is imperative to the text. Juan Rulfo centers the story around two concepts of time: the present journey of Juan Preciado and the past life of Pedro Paramo. There is an often seamless transition between these two time frames that provides background and character to the novel. Through the manipulation of time the reader is exposed to both a background to the town and the present journey of Preciado.
Death is a fundamental piece to this text. Rulfo illustrates the town where Pedro Paramo lived and that Juan Preciado is traveling to in a unique manner. Through the use of time, Rulfo describes Comala both during the time of Paramo and during the journey of Juan Preciado. There is a definitive overlap between the two as Juan Preciado encounters many people who are deemed "dead" that help better illustrate the town and the life of Pedro Paramo. When Preciado dies in the text, it switches to the life of Pedro Paramo. Death is again looked at very intently even after Preciado dies and it switches to one time setting. When someone in this text dies, a similar process is revealed to take place regardless of who the person is that dies. We see through Rulfo's writings that there appears to be some corruption and hypocrisy in the church. The priest who is viewed as God's intermediary is in fact a sinner himself. His job is to act as a means of God and yet father Renteria is described as emotionally biased and a sinner himself. The text is deeply rooted in the importance of life, death, and the afterlife and possesses a multitude of examples depicting this.
The book is an illustration of purgatory and shows an eternal condemnation for all the characters involved. This text demonstrates Mexican culture and their firm belief in the afterlife. Unsettled souls in Latin American culture are seen as wandering in search of a resting place. Death and respecting the deceased are imperative to Latin American culture. This book also illustrates the casique system and corruption that runs rampant in Latin American culture. Corruption and the idea of a rich boss who has control over peasants is something that is common place in Latin America. The author accurately captures the traditional Latin American casique system and reveals the corrupt system of a ruler over his subjects. The concept of the peasants or people living on Paramo’s land being independent is viewed as impractical as they are viewed as incapable of being self sufficient. The role of the casique as powerful and dominating is made very clear throughout the text.