How does the author use magical realism to emphasize the theme?

Essay #2 (100 points)
For this essay you will focus on analyzing the use of magical realism within two of the stories we have read.
Prompt: Compare and contrast how effectively two of the following stories use magical realism to get the author’s overall point/theme across.
Stories (choose TWO):
Isabel Allende “An Act of Vengeance”
Jorge Luis Borges “The South”
Gabriel Garcia Marquez “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings”
Julio Cortazar “Axolotl”
Franz Kafka Metamorphosis
Carmen Maria Machado “Inventory”
Aimee Bender “Americaa”
Katherine Vaz “The Journey of the Eyeball”
Nnedi Okorafor “Hello, Moto”
Helen Oyeyemi “If A Book Is Locked There’s Probably A Good Reason for That Don’t You Think”
Things to consider:
– What is the theme of each story?
– How does the author use magical realism to emphasize the theme?
– How are the two stories similar in technique?
– How might these two stories differ in technique?
Remember this from the lecture in Modules on Magical Realism (these are some areas that you may want to focus on within your argument and analysis of the stories):
Every magical realism story is different, but they all include certain things such as:
realistic setting – all magical realism stories take place in a setting in this world that’s familiar to the reader
magical elements – from talking objects to dead characters to telepathy, every magical realism story has fantastical elements that do not occur in our world. However, they’re presented as normal within the novel
limited information – magical realism authors deliberately leave the magic in their stories unexplained in order to normalize it as much as possible and reinforce that it is part of everyday life
critique – authors often use magical realism to offer an implicit critique of society, most notably politics and the elite. The genre grew in popularity in parts of the world like Latin America that were economically oppressed and exploited by Western countries
unique plot structure – magical realism does not follow a typical narrative arc with a clear beginning, middle, and end like other literary genres. This makes for a more intense reading experience as the reader does not know when the plot will advance or when the conflict will take place
*(Go back to the outline I posted for Essay #1 – you will follow these same general outline guidelines but focused on comparing and contrasting two of the above stories with a focus on the use of magical realism.
** Keep a formal tone – no ‘you, us, we, our, I’
Requirements to be eligible for an A or B paper:
4 – 5 pages
Arguable Thesis
MLA formatted
Works Cited (you must include the two stories as well as your two outside sources)
Include two outside sources (this means you need to do a little research – sources such as Wikipedia, Schmoop, Sparknotes, eNotes, blogs, etc will not be accepted as sources)

stories will be in file

Last Completed Projects