Aura and Pedro Páramo. Magical realism in Mexico

Abstract

The article analyzes whether Aura by Carlos Fuentes and Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo belong to the tradition of Mexican magical realism, challenging conventional critical classifications. The main objective is to determine whether both narratives—despite their formal and thematic differences—share the core features of magical realism as a Latin American aesthetic mode. The methodology follows a comparative and literary-analytical approach, drawing on key theories of magical realism developed by Franz Roh, Seymour Menton, and Enrique Anderson Imbert, as well as on testimonies from Latin American writers such as Juan José Arreola and Alejo Carpentier. The authors perform a textual analysis of Aura and Pedro Páramo, focusing on narrative structure, atmosphere, temporality, and the portrayal of the supernatural. The scope of the research lies in reaffirming the poetic and symbolic dimension of magical realism as a form of Mexican cultural expression. The study concludes that both works, while differing in their approach to the fantastic, combine realistic and marvelous elements within a single narrative logic that transcends naturalism and unveils a metaphysical vision of Latin American reality.