The Fragmented Nature of Pedro Páramo Anonymous 12th Grade

A fragmented narrative challenges readers to piece together the jumbled components of a narrative in order to make sense of the story (Hamilton). Although hard to follow at times, the narrative presents an alternative form for storytelling. In his work Pedro Páramo, Rulfo jumps between the past and present in order to portray the mysticism of the genre as well as suggest the oral story telling tradition of Mexican culture. Due to the inclusion of heteroglossia, similar stories surface frequently throughout the story, providing Juan with multiple perspectives of his father’s character. In order to make sense of the scattered fragments, Rulfo organizes specific indications to readers in the text, specifically through water and sound.

In Latin American literature, magical realism remains one of the most popular genres (Rave). This type of novel oftentimes pairs with a fragmented narrative to create a sense of mysticism or magic. As the novel progresses, Rulfo omits the answers to numerous questions; leaving it up to the readers to formulate their own answers. The lack of detail and ambiguity surrounding the open-ended mysteries designates any plausible answers, even the supernatural ones. Pieces of information hidden within the...