Studies in 20th Century Literature Volume 19 Issue 2 Article 7 6-1-1995 A Contemporary Fairy Tale: García Márquez' "El rastro de tu sangre en la nieve" Arnold M. Penuel Centenary College of Louisiana Follow this and additional works at: https://newprairiepress.org/sttcl Part of the Latin American Literature Commons, and the Modern Literature Commons This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Penuel, Arnold M. (1995) "A Contemporary Fairy Tale: García Márquez' "El rastro de tu sangre en la nieve"," Studies in 20th Century Literature: Vol. 19: Iss. 2, Article 7. https://doi.org/10.4148/2334-4415.1373 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Studies in 20th Century Literature by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. A Contemporary Fairy Tale: García Márquez' "El rastro de tu sangre en la nieve" Abstract The pattern usually found in fairy tales is for the hero or heroine to struggle against, and finally overcome, what seem to be overwhelming odds, after which he or she lives happily ever after. This pattern, according to Bruno Bettelheim, is emblematic of the struggle required of every individual in real life in order to develop the maturity to cope with, and thrive in, the world. García Márquez' story, "El rastro de tu sangre en la nieve," whose dominant intertext is the fairy tale, turns this pattern on its head.