Magical Realism in The Garden of Forking Paths Essay -- Garden of Fork

Magical Realism in The Garden of Forking PathsWhile there may be some disputation as to whether the Argentinian Jorge Luis Borges was technically a Magical Realist, some may feel that his works definitely do have some of the characteristics of what is considered Magical true to life(predicate) literature. Among his various types of works are poetry, essays, fantasies, and short fictions. Often referred to in essays that discuss the history and theory of Magical Realism, The Garden of Forking Paths is probably Borges most public short story. Published in 1964 in a collection of Borges works entitled Labyrinths Selected Stories & Other Writings, his short story The Garden of Forking Paths appears to have several(prenominal) of the elements of Magical Realism. At a glance, the main plot of The Garden of Forking Paths may seem fairly simple and very real. In this story the main character, Yu Tsun, is a German spy who knows the name of the British artillery park. Yu Tsun wa nts to tell his chief about this British artillery park so that the Germans can ruin it. However, Yu Tsun is afraid that Captain Richard Madden, who is on the British side, will shoot him before he is able to get the word out in time. Therefore, Yu Tsun comes up with the picture to go to a Dr. Stephen Alberts house and shoot him. By shooting Stephen Albert, Yu Tsun relays the message to his chief in Berlin that Albert is the city where the British artillery park is located (Wiehe 980). A reader can see that the realist elements in The Garden of Forking Paths are that the story is taking place during World War I, that the story involves real populate who are spies, and that the story is based on a fairly logical plot. The term fairly logical plot is us... ...mmunity. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C. Duke UP, 1995 163-186. Flores, Angel. Magical Realism in Spanish American Fiction. Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinso n Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C. Duke UP, 1995 109-116. Roh, Franz. Magic Realism Post-Expressionism. Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C. Duke UP, 1995 15-30. Simpkins, Scott. Sources of Magic Realism/Supplements to Realism in Contemporary Latin American Literature. Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C. Duke UP, 1995 145-157. Wiehe, Roger E. Jorge Luis Borges. Critical descry of Short Fiction. Vol 3. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Salem Press, 1981 977-982.