RobertLowellssonnetHistorybeginsassuch:

Historyhastolivewithwhatwashere,
clutchingandclosetofumblingallwehad
itissodullandgruesomehowwedie,
unlikewriting,lifeneverfinishes.
Magicrealismisadrowningmanwithasandparchedtongue.Orbetter,itisastylistic
copingdevice.Theheartbreakofthatstoryisneverinthetelling,onlyinthetragedyandtrauma
itgilds.Likeaworldwearymancataloguinghiswoes,OneHundredYearsofSolitude(asa
transcript)belongstotheoralfolkloretradition.WhilethedefiningfancifulimagesofDisneys
postwarhallmarkfilms,e.g.,pumpkincumcarriageinCinderellaandthesorceresscumdragon
ofSleepingBeauty,heightentheparamoursromanticstakes,makingloveasatypicalasitis
splendored,Solitudesfiveyeardownpour,litterofyellowbutterflies,andapotheosisofsage
likeRemediostheBeautymaketheutterhumanityofthetalebearable.
Readingmagicrealismasanysortofnaturalismisselfdeception;Mrquezsnarrator
believeshisownmyth,believingtheactofmanipulationtonotonlysupportthetruth,butto
comfortusinstomachingit.Agonyisinthedetails,andhavingtheFernandaswhitesheets
describedwithasmuchtendernessasancestralRemediosawfulbleedingoutdealsasoftened
blow,butablownonetheless.
WhenRebecahowls,Itsnotrightforthemtocometomewiththatmemoryrightnow
as(unbeknownsttoher)nephewAurelianoTristecombsthroughherderelicthouse,thatisthe
soundofalifethathaslostitstrickeries;herskeletalframeandbaldingheadhaveshedthe
necessaryfatandlocksofvitality.MrquezsBuendasgreethistoryasannativeyetunwelcome
poltergeistwhoseexistenceisindependentofthetickingyearsandwarsandMacondoeven,only
[living]withwhatwashere.