Magical Realism and Italio Calvino's 'Baron in The Trees'

Due to the insufficient views of reality in society in Italio Calvino's “Baron in the trees”, Calvino reinforces the power of imagination as an antidote to crisis. The power of acknowledgment of realism in Calvino's own world in 20th century Italy – one where fascism of WWII was defeated by socialism, only seen to be as equally destructive, meaning that peoples hope for a better life plummeted. A bildungsroman, Calvino has deliberately focused on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist to the adulthood in which character development was significant.

Stephen M. Hart of Duke university reviewed the theory of ‘Ordinary Enchantments: Magical Realism and the Mystification of Narrative’ is the culmination of an authors’ reflections on the literary phenomenon of magical realism. It explored five central characteristics, which are often present when illustrating the important aspects of Magical realism within a novel. These characteristics include; an irreducible element of magic, the strong presence of a phenomenal world, events seen from contradictory perspectives and the disruptions of time, space and identity, proposing a new theory to explain its significance.

Baron is developed around the biography of Cosimo in the years which he lived in the trees, which commenced at age twelve. The understanding of cosimos character is controlled, however his Biagio as the narrator or the fable. The two brothers form a strong relationship, yet, the practical realities of their outlooks on living and how life should be are extremely diverse in a sense that Biagio endorses living life to the status quo rather than Cosimo who views his life through more of an illusion. The characteristics of ordinary enchantments are strongly supported in Calvino’s baron, primarily through the characteristics of ‘the strong presence of a phenomenal world’ and ‘events seen from contradictory perspectives’. As years progress in the life of Cosimo, he is privileged by having the title of “defender of the trees”, he discovers great passion in storytelling, expressing his adventures to anyone who passes. This events in the love for Cosimo rising, which eludes Cosimo to believe his “adventures” the more and more they are told, as if it reflects his reality, pungently supporting a ‘strong presence of a phenomenal word and contradictions’ as expressed through ‘Ordinary Enchantments: Magical Realism and the Mystification of Narrative’

These unrealistic realities have been impacted by different characters within this fable, whom in which have affected Cosimos phenomenal world, this is emphasized in his encounter with the outlaw Gian dei Burghi. Having acquired a villainous reputation, Gian is constantly running from the law. It is during one of these flights from justice that Cosimo hides Gian in the trees. In a subsequent conversation, Gian reveals to Cosimo that reading merely fills the time he spends in hiding between jobs. Cosimo develops a friendship with this outlaw and they decide that Cosimo will use Biagio to plumb the local library for books suitable to Gian's tastes in literature. In the relationship between Gian and Cosimo, Calvino acknowledges that reading should and does have a transformative effect. Cosimo, after his encounter with Gian, is changed, but the change occurs in how he applies what he has read to alter his view of the world. The altered view that Cosimo adopts is noticed by Biagio when he says of Cosimo that reading all of these books has put his head in the clouds, or possibly his mind in a phenomenal world.

Symbolism combines these characteristics of magical realism predominantly through the ‘viola swing’. Voila is a neighbour to cosimos family, and a member of the family his father declared were their sworn enemies. She meets Cosimo shortly after he enters the trees when she is swinging in her garden. She attracts him immediately with her teasing timidity and the fact that it was wrong, which perhaps to Cosimo, made it feel more right. At every chance, he attempts to impress her, concluding in them falling in love. Viola’s swing provided both Cosimo and Viola the opportunity to be in each other’s presence without it being necessary for Cosimo to touch the ground and be parted from his own little world amongst the trees. The swing created a centre for both worlds of magic and reality to meet.

Franz Rohs ‘Magical Realism’ is essentially constituted of two parts; the expression of magic, or the impossible within the conventions of literary realism. Roh used the term magical realism to characterize a style of painting instead of literature, to create a category of art that is divergent from the conventional strict guidelines of realism within art. He intended for the term to refer to the works of art that showcase an understanding of imagination while still portraying a concept that is objective and realistic. Roh described magical realism to fill in spaces between spaces and eject the material from immaterial, forming a stable yet composite balance between the two.

Calvino reflects an interest in fantasy as a contemporary idea of escape from the oppressive world that Cosimo was existing in. It is Cosimo’s acceptance of fantasy in this fable that eventually leads to the conflicting ideas in his mind to dominate his life, this pushed the idea that this fantasy is not one that can be escaped. Cosimo builds a home and a family out of the place and the dynamic rhythmic life that the trees provide, they cover the whole village and countryside, make it seem possible for Cosimo to travel without touching the ground. Within Baron the ground is used as a symbol of realism that Cosimo does not want to be absorbed into, even when the slightest bit of reality struck through the concept of love with Viola, he had to use the swing and a middle ground between his so-called reality and hers. Many people came into Cosimos life, but none were ever long term. His involvement in secret societies that pass through leaves an effect on all members involved, short term, living externally with a fear of not being able to survive in the real, and that fear stuck, as he never took the next step to see if he was capable to get his head out of the clouds. If however, the gaps in Cosimo’s like were filled with more realistic aspects and beliefs, life may have lasted longer and with more depth, but the. Illusion in the trees he was so absorbed into was like a unawakenable dream. However, he was unaware that he was existing within a phenomenal world, and because he had been induced in these adventures and fantasies for such a long period, it prevented him from connecting back.

The idea that tradition, if it is to survive and after with change is inevitable, it needs imagination. Cosimo and Biagio's story is one of their own makings, characteristics from both articles are exceptionally apparent in this Bildungsroman. Biaggio notes at the beginning of his fable that he often played in the trees with his brother, though he was never as comfortable there as Cosimo. Biaggio is also aware, in later life, that his existence has never been as rich as that of Cosimo, primarily because he was unable to take the risk of living above the world’s concerns. Cosimo lives in the trees well beyond the age of sixty-five and does not come down though he becomes old and infirm. His death, as unusual as his life, presumably occurs when he grabs hold of an anchor fastened to a passing hot-air balloon. Thus, Cosimo’s body never comes in contact with the ground again.