As mentioned before several elements of magical realism are found on the novel which creates a mystical atmosphere. Some examples of this uncommon type of literature would be when the narrator describes one of the characters, Rosa. It says, “…Rosa was white and smooth, without a wrinkle, like a porcelain doll, with green hair and yellow eyes- the most beautiful creature to be born on earth since the days of original sin…” (pg.4). Allende refers to Rosa's green hair as though it were out of the ordinary, yet not unheard of. Moreover we can include to this magical atmosphere the way spirits and ghosts are always present in the story. They become part of the family, of the history. One scene that can be cited is when Ferula’s spirit comes to say good-bye in the big house on the corner. “…Ferula appeared, silent and with a distant expression on her face...” We are dealing with ghosts and spirits that come and go from the house every second, but it is seen as an usual thing. This is due to Clara’s interest in communicating with spirits. She openly converses with them, and Jaime and Nicolas are “… the only members of the family who lived completely removed from the three-legged table, protected from magic and spiritualism..” (pg.148.)
However Clara does not only communicates with spirits and invokes ghosts. She can also see in advance and predict what will happen. When she was just a little girl she could already see what would happen and as a matter of fact whatever she said would occur, did. Her sister’s death, her family’s tragedy, and even her marriage to Esteban Trueba. Once she said, “I’m going to be married soon” (82), and indeed she married Esteban Trueba the following month. Her clairvoyance contributes to this mystical ambiance and makes the book intense and at the same time magical.
Due to Clara’s clairvoyance fate change repeatedly in the novel because it allows her to understand peoples' fates and to predict the future. Although Clara realizes that she can only predict but not change the future, fate is not entirely arbitrary. Rather, each character's fate is the result of all of their actions, of their ambitions. Each of the romantic couples in the novel meets apparently by chance at a young age and years later realizes that things were meant to be.
Concluding we can affirm that the subtle integration of the supernatural with real compose a satisfying and fulfilling book to read. Various elements of magical realism are found in this compelling novel among other intense themes that are presented by Isabel Allende.
