From Franz Roh, the art critic who coined the term Magical Realism, to contemporary leading scholars such as Amaryll Chanady, a myriad of confusion has surrounded this term. In an effort to narrow the defining boundaries of what constitutes Magical Realism, short stories labeled as Magical Realism can be examined for their degree of adherence to the cardinal characteristics most scholars attribute to Magical Realism. By identifying the characteristics that seem inconsistent with the characteristics most critics ascribe to Magical Realist literature, a more concise understanding of Magical Realism can be obtained. An amalgamation of realistic and magical elements is presented by true Magical Realist authors through specific devices. These devices serve as the first basis for evaluating a work of literature and determining whether or not it fits into the Magical Realist mode.
Metamorphoses are a relatively common event.
Although it is not clear that the transformation of Sonya and the author's description of that transformation after the author goes to sleep are only part of the author's imagination, the preceding text presents a situation in which such an inference could be made. Such a use of dream and psychological analysis would be inconsistent with the Magical Realist mode. A fourth characteristic of the Magical Realist mode supersedes all others. It is the cardinal characteristic necessary for defining a work of literature as Magical Realism. Neither one accepts the transformation as perfectly normal.