Magical Realism in Kahlo’s The Wounded Deer and Kafka’s Metamorphosis

Some of the most appealing stories to read are those of magical realism. It adds a fantastical sense, to an otherwise regular story. It gives the story that flare needed to put it aside from others. It also can provide a deeper meaning, and the authors understanding of the world. This keeps your mind working, as you slowly decipher the true meaning of the authors words, because as you may know not everything is so black and white.

To begin I'm going to present you with the breathtaking work of art, “The Wounded Deer” by Frida Kahlo. What seems to be an odd painting, truly shows a powerful message hidden in the picture. As most may not know, Frida was set back a lot in her life. She endured a near fatal bus crash, was raised during tough times, and had an extremely unstable relationship with her husband. You might be wondering, “What is the point of this.” Well, the message that is conveyed in the painting is her whole life story. This deer that has been bowed by numerous arrows, yet still somehow alive, is Frida Kahlo. This magical sense of a human face, on deer that are often hunted, represent how despite facing many complications, she still stands big and almost unphased. As I said, at first glance, this just looks like an irregular, far-fetched painting, but it is so much more.

A common factor in these magical realism stories, is the authors background and history, and Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is no different. When Franz was growing up, him and his father were not in the best of relations. Franz was isolated and neglected as a child, which affected him, almost like mental abuse. The Metamorphosis take this trauma, and expands it in a strange and elaborate way. The Metamorphosis is about a man by the name Gregor wakes up, and has discovered he was unexpectedly turned into a vermin, or unliked creature. This attempts to figuratively explain the relations with his family, as everyone in the family only feels disgust for him. On lines 244-247, Kafka states, “The lad only ever thinks about the business. It nearly makes me cross the way he never goes out in the evenings; he’s been in town for a week now but stayed home every evening.” Kafka is implying that this transformation, is an irrational way of describing this outcast behavior puts Gregor in this quarantined state. In most ways this also relates to the same way Kafka was treated as an adolescent, which again ties back to the magical realism in the story.

Altogether, these works of art found intricate ways of incorporating magical realism. In doing so, the creators were able to express their own emotions, but with a twist that keeps the viewer guessing. Truly, the extraordinary aspects of these texts, combined with this sense of realism provide a much more entertaining way. Their convoluted themes supply many more interpretations, than just blatantly stating them, and quite frankly, there is no real way of knowing the true underlying meaning.