Comparative scrutiny of magical realism elements in Gunter Grass’s “The Tin Drum” and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”

This article brings this question into focus that whether or not it is correct to classify Gunter Grass’s The Tin Drum as a work of magical realism, as what it is generally claimed. A comparative scrutiny on the elements of this artistic-literary style used in this novel and elements used in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, shows that the “The Tin Drum” is not a magical realism novel, particularly because of absence of Authorial Reticence and concepts of “paucity” and “Momentariness”. Sustained Hesitation indicate that contrary to the advertisement of certain sources and publisher, this novel in certain circumstance, contradicts and opposes these two indispensable elements of magical realism. Using close reading technique and comparing elements of magical realism employed in The Tin Drum with those used in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, and also through the exemplification and providing excerpts from the texts of both novels, it is inferred that the only distinctive feature of magical realism, i.e. authorial reticence, has been explicitly neglected and overlooked. Furthermore, the presence of Sustained Hesitation through the text has blemished the magic realism validity. Moreover, based on Franz Roh’s famous statement regarding the surreptitious and occult life of supernatural forces around us, two conclusions are drawn: firstly, there is a new element namely paucity, implying that extraordinary and supernatural events could not occur incessantly and frequently. Secondly, such events should happen momentarily and promptly and end immediately and consequently, they should not be controllable. Whereas in this novel, not only Oskar’s magic power is used frequently, but also is controllable and in-access at any time he wishes.