Use irony and magical realism in One Hundred Years of SolitudeIn Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, the realistic description of impossible events it is an example of both irony and magical realism. Irony is the use of words, images, etc. to convey the opposite of the intended meaning. Garcia Márquez uses irony on multiple levels. Sometimes a single word, like a character's name, suggests something opposite to the character's personality: for example, Prudencio Aguilar, who is not "prudent" at all. Sometimes a character's way of speaking is ironic. For example, in the chapter on the banana workers' strike, the Court uses very rigid and pompous language to state something ridiculous: that banana workers do not exist, because they are technically not "employees" of the company - an evasion of the responsibility of the government which has tragic consequences. Another example is Fernanda's long-winded proclamations about her religious devotion. These are obviously expressions not of Christian love, but of extreme self-centeredness and rigidity. Even the seemingly patriotic statements of liberals and conservatives have nothing to do with loyalty to the country, but are actually about the petty ambitions of politicians. More subtly, what the narrator or characters say can sometimes contradict what the reader knows to be TRUE. There are many examples in José Arcadio Buendia's solemn announcements, including his observation that ice "is the great invention of our time." Much later, the apparent progress brought by the banana company to Macondo turns out not to be progress at all, but rather a prelude to devastation. Even more subtly, Garcia Márquez reserved a... middle of paper.... ...precise figures for things. Therefore, the heavy rains that fall on Macondo – a perfectly normal, yet impressive occurrence in northeastern Colombia – are said to last exactly four years, eleven months and two days. To a child watching the rain, it might seem like it lasts so long. Three thousand workers are massacred by troops during the banana strike. Colonel Aureliano Buendia fights, and loses, exactly thirty-two wars, and so on. When we read about such surprising events told in such an objective and naive voice, we realize that it is up to us as readers to interpret their meaning. Whoever is reporting is simply too literal and simple-minded to have reliable opinions. Works Cited Drabble, Margaret The Oxford Companion to English Literature, Oxford University Press 1995 Marquez, Gabriel Garcia One Hundred Years of Solitude, HarperCollins