In Allende's "The House of the Spirits" and Marquez's "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" the use of magical realism serves multiple purposes. The two main results, that I saw, from magical realism was acting as a dividing characteristic and create an environment for the reader in which magic is accepted as normal. In "The House of the Spirits" most characters believe in Clara's clairvoyant abilities and other magical aspects. Esteban Trueban, and Clara's parents did not support Clara's psychic abilities. This created a division amongst the characters. Since Clara's parents die early on it is difficult to see the results of this division, but I believe that it causes Esteban to lose his mind. Since magical realism allows the possibility for people to shrink, the reader accepts this, but Esteban searches for a scientific explanation. This rejection of magic contributes to Esteban's discontent. Also the magical realism allows for a completely different reading experience where Barrabas is able to be the size of a camel and where people can talk to spirits and see the future. Not only does it make the reading more "fantastical," it allows for a larger literary license. This license results in easier opportunities to foreshadow using Clara's abilities or having character diversity with Rosa's beauty and mermaid like qualities. Overall the use of magical realism creates an entirely different experience for the reader because the novel and the reader begin to accept magic as reality.
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