Magic Realism

Magic Realism

 

            The story of Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo show us the period in
Mexico between the Mexican Revolution in 1919-1920, and after the Cristero Revolt of 1926 through 1926. Juan Rulfo is a magical realist author because his story could be played as fiction, but his realism opposes the fantasy because he never explains the fiction world to us. Rulfo leaves the readers to determine whether the plot is magical or the plot is more truthful according to the world as
Mexico in this period. At this time Mexico had many economical, social and political problems because after the dictatorship of Porfilio Díaz, the traditional rural
Mexico had been ruined. Juan Rulfo wants to tell us about many things, but in my analysis I want to explain, the dramatic exodus from the countryside to the city, the real event (Cristero War), and the memories (yellow color).

            Pedro Paramo wrote a book that gives the readers many ideas about thousands of rural people going to the cities during the Mexican Revolution because the economic and insecurity situation were an important issue at this time. Also, the countryside was abandoned by the government and the country areas did not have rules or organization by law. Then, Rulfo in his story tells us about the Comala town. When Juan Preciado, son of Pedro Paramo arrived there, Comala was deserted; only in this town there are ghosts. For example, the exodus, Pedro Paramo, “Recuerdo días en que Comala se llenó de adioses, y hasta nos parecía cosa alegre ir a despedir a los que se iban, es que se iban con intenciones de volver.” (103); the author expressed his feeling in the way the readers can see the crises of rural Mexico, and how the people have to move to the cities because they cannot support their families economically and protect them from the war and necessities, as well, the readers perceives the melancholy and the agony of the Mexican people at this period of time.

            Death to Mexican people is not something that they cannot understand because it is part of Mexican tradition. Then, Juan Rulfo gives his short story of Pedro Paramo a way of magical realism. But the author has created ghosts to describe something he was perceived because he rejected any imaginative way the readers have to doubts and vacillation the world that he is describing; but this world is real. For example, Cristero Revolt of 1926 through 1929 was a real event. Pedro Paramo, “Y ya cuando le faltaba poco para morir vinieron las guerras esas de los ‘cristeros’…Fue cuando comencé a morirme de hambre…” (104), the ghost tells us the truth because Cristero Revolt was a real event. Rulfo wants that his fictional story to show to the readers a historical real event and he wants to share the relationship between fictional characters, the events, and memories.

            It is important to know that the memories of magical realist work distorts time and collapses with the order. Then, the short story of Pedro Paramo explores Mexican social history of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But the narration is not chronological because this is an important part of the memories reconstruction. “¿Te acuerdas? Aquí cambio no se sentirá sino ese olor
Amarillo y acedo que parece destilar por todas partes. Y es que éste pueblo desdichado; untado todo de desdicha…” (107), strong phrase about what happened in Comala. The past and present of this town are horrible. The people leave and never come in back. The only way to return is when they are dead. Yellow color means, melancholy, agony, sadness, and nostalgia. The memories want us to forget the past because these memories brought to them loneliness and solitude.

            In conclusion, Juan Rulfo in Pedro Paramo shows us the reality of
Mexico and explores Mexican social history of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He illustrated to us the exodus from the rural areas to the cities, the realism of
Mexico at this period of time as Cristero War, and the memories.