Answer:
The theme of magical realism is prominent in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings," and it connects to Toni Morrison's "Beloved." Both works explore the supernatural and fantastical elements, which blur the lines between reality and fantasy.
In "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings," an old man with wings is found by Pelayo and Elisenda in their courtyard. Initially, they view him as a burden and an inconvenience, but as word spreads of his presence, people begin to flock to see him. The old man's wings and his unusual appearance are sources of wonder and fascination, and he is believed to be an angel by many of the locals. However, the story challenges the reader's expectations of what an angel should look like and how they should behave. The old man is depicted as dirty, disheveled, and lacking in divine powers.
Similarly, in Morrison's "Beloved," a ghost haunts the house occupied by Sethe and her daughter Denver. The ghost is the embodiment of the baby Sethe killed when she was a slave, in an attempt to protect her child from the horrors of slavery. The ghost's presence is both haunting and comforting, and it blurs the line between the living and the dead.
Both works utilize magical realism to examine larger themes such as faith, redemption, and mortality. They challenge the reader's expectations and invite them to question what is real and what is not. In "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings," the old man's wings represent the possibility of transcending earthly limitations, while in "Beloved," the ghost embodies the pain and trauma of slavery that haunts the present.
Overall, both works use magical realism to create an otherworldly atmosphere that reflects the complexities of human experience. They both challenge readers to think critically about what is real and what is not, and how to navigate the boundaries between the physical and the metaphysical.