Varieties of the Fantastic in Fiction

The conflicted feelings of love is an emotion I believe most experience, as written about it in “Granite.” Maggie, who is the main character, is described as being particular about men, and so it is revealed that she is alone for a long time until she finds “the one.” Except, instead of being head over heels in love, which is what society tells us we should do, she finds herself sometimes annoyed with him, and imagining scenarios where he dies tragically. I believe that most women experience this feeling, the feeling of waking up and realizing that love takes work, and that sometimes you aren’t going to be head over heels all the time.
Throughout the story, there is the fantastic element of her boyfriends injury on his ankle, which then seemingly spreads along his whole body, thus waking up one morning next to his corpse (which if you imagine this, is pretty gruesome).
There are a ton of messages about societal views and gender expectations hidden throughout this beautiful piece. It is ingrained in women to settle down and start a family, and Maggie is the odd one out who waits until she finds the right man, instead of settling for someone mediocre. Except, she challenges this idea of healthy love, questioning if she deserves this. The idea of being careful with your love is ultimately what drives her boyfriend to death, leaving Maggie to the conclusion that maybe she did love her boyfriend too hard.