Magical Realism as Used by Tim Burton and Gabriel Garcia Marquez Walker Garrett 10th Grade

Magical realism is a truly transformative genre of fiction in which fantastical or mythical elements are blended with realistic ones in order to reveal something about human nature or existence. There have been many writers over the years who have attempted to capture the majesty of the form, but not all have succeeded. There are two in particular, however, who stand out from the rest. Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his story The Most Handsome Drowned Man in the World, and Tim Burton’s film Big Fish, both have underlying points and opinions that are disguised in the elements of fantasy throughout the respective storylines. There are also many human truths in both stories that can be revealed if you simply look past the magical and fantastical elements that disguise them. Both stories are brilliant examples of magical realism; the beautiful form in all its entirety.

The first story, the one portraying the allure of Esteban, shows us something important about human nature. The fact is that sometimes people are so desperate for the “newest thing” that they can develop an ability to overlook certain details about the object (or, in this case, person) they have chosen to pursue. This is evidenced in the story by how so many of the women...