Mágica sin Explicación: Modo Literario y “El ahogado más Hermoso del Mundo”

Indianapolis, IN

This paper investigates the importance and the implications of qualifying the genre or sub-genre used in Gabriel García Márquez’s short story, “El ahogado más hermoso del mundo.” By using the theories of Rosemary Jackson and Cynthia Duncan on the fantastic as a literary mode, and the theories of Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris on magical realism as a literary mode, the similarities and differences between these fluid literary modes become apparent and dynamic, especially when considered and used in the context of García Márquez’s real-life and literary influences. By presenting readings of “El ahogado” through the lenses of these two literary modes, and through discussion of other literary criticisms of the short story, this paper presents a working definition of both these modes in the context of “El ahogado,” in addition to an investigation into why defining a work’s genre, sub-genre, or literary mode is important in terms of understanding that work.