Gabriel José García Máruez
Gabriel José García Máruez (6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a legendary Columbian author and 1982 Nobel Literature Prize winner. He is considered as one of the most significant authors of 20th century due to his style of writing (famously known as “Magical realism”) and the contribution to the literary community throughout the world. He was famous for using magical elements and events in ordinary and realistic situations and using the theme of ‘Solitude’ in many of his novels, poetries and fictions.
Due to his enormous contribution and bringing laurels to his country Columbia, Gabriel García Máruez is also described as “Symbol of the pride” and “The Greatest Columbian who ever lived”.
His Magical Realism
Gabriel José García Máruez is widely credited in helping to popularize “magical realism”, a genre where magical elements are a natural part in the otherwise ordinary realistic situation. The most famous of his work where he has brilliantly used magical realism is his famous novel “The hundred years in solitude” which sold more than 30 million copies. The area of magical realism was explored beautifully to depict a story in which one Buendia family who founded a fictional South American village of Mocondo. The history of Macondo is often generalized by critics to represent rural towns throughout Latin America or at least near García Márquez’s native Aracataca. In the noble prize which was gives to him in 1982, his work on magical realism was aptly described as “The noble prize in Literature is awarded to Gabriel José García Máruez for his novels and short stories, in which the fantastic and the realistic are combined in a richly composed world of imagination, reflecting a continent’s life and conflicts”.
His role in Columbian Politics
Gabriel José García Máruez apart from his literally contribution, is also famously known for his political orientation and his deep desire of mediating a solution to the country’s (i.e. Columbia) rebel conflict. In fact, it was the allegation that he had contact with the rebel guerrillas that he had to flee the country in 1981 when the army wanted to interrogate him for the same purpose. His strong political leftist views and his outspoken attitude always kept him in focus domestically as well as internationally. He was direct in his approach and said things as they are. In one of his speeches, he bluntly pointed the political reality of Columbia as – “We’re scandalized by our country’s bad image abroad, but we don’t dare admit to ourselves that the reality is worse,” he said in a speech at the presidential palace in 1994. “We’re capable of the noblest acts as well as the most abject, of sublime poems and insane assassinations, of jubilant funerals and deadly revelry. Not because we’re good and others are bad but because we all partake in both extremes.”
As opponent of US Imperialism
Gabriel José García Máruez also was eminent opponent of US imperialism and he never hesitated speaking against it on all the platforms. Due to his outspoken views against American imperialism, the governments in US banned his arrival to their country by labelling him a subversive and denying him visa. This continued till Bill Clinton after becoming the President of the USA lifted the ban citing “The hundred years of Solitude” his favourite novel.
Legacy
Gabriel José García Máruez rightly regarded as one of the most influential author of his time made several contribution in the area of literature, politics, and Journalism. Whatever be his approach, Gabriel José García Máruez always sought to strengthen the country’s democracy and bring about peace. He also actively contributed towards growth of journalism by creating a foundation to train reporters and raise the standard of journalism across Latin America.
