Unit 10: Magic Realism

     In the story “The Distance of the Moon,” we are told of a magical realism story in which the moon’s far away orbit from Earth is explained. In the story, we learn that the moon was once very close to the Earth; so close, in fact, that people used to travel to and from the two masses. In the end of the story, a woman chose to stay on the moon as it distanced itself from the Earth. She did this out of love for a man who only loved the moon. This idea feels very much like the idea of a creation myth. One that comes to mind is the Navajo legend of the sun and moon.

     In the legend, the world was barren and without light or heat so the inhabitants had two wheels created, one that gave off light and heat, and one that brought rain and lightning. The two wheels were placed upon opposing mountain peaks but were without movement so that there was one bright and warm side and one dark and cold side. Two elders then gave their spirits to the wheels in order to give them movement; thus creating the sun and the moon. 

     While there are obvious differences between the two stories, at their cores, they are very similar. The two stories give an elaborate origin to the moon and explain its position in the sky. Both stories also touch on the idea of a human spirit that gives some greater meaning to the moon. For these reasons, the story “The Distance of the Moon” can be viewed as more than a Magic Realism story and in fact as a pseudo-creation story for the moon.