Magical RealismMagical RealismIn application to Toni MorrisonIn application to Toni Morrison’’s s BelovedBeloved

Spectrum of modern genres

FantasyFantasy RealismRealism

EscapismEscapism

MagicMagicScience FictionScience Fiction

SupernaturalSupernatural

ExpressionismExpressionism

SurrealismSurrealism

Magical RealismMagical Realism

RealismRealism

Focus on showing life Focus on showing life as it really is. They try as it really is. They try not to romanticize or not to romanticize or idolize or hyperbolize.idolize or hyperbolize.

Mark Twain, Stephen Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, Dostoyevsky Crane, Dostoyevsky

19th-20th century19th-20th century

Early realists focused Early realists focused on representing lives on representing lives not previously seen in not previously seen in fine arts (women, the fine arts (women, the poor, workers, street poor, workers, street life, ethnicities) .life, ethnicities) .

Gustave Courbet, Stone-Breakers

ExpressionismExpressionism

• MaMa

Presents the world in Presents the world in a subjective a subjective perspective, distorting perspective, distorting it for emotional effect, it for emotional effect, to evoke moods or to evoke moods or ideas.ideas.

Seeks emotional Seeks emotional experience and experience and represents that over represents that over physical realism.physical realism.

Hemingway, Hemingway, Faulkner, JoyceFaulkner, Joyce

Beginning of 20th Beginning of 20th centurycentury

SurrealismSurrealism Salvador Dali, Salvador Dali, ““Persistence of Persistence of MemoryMemory””

Inserts irrational Inserts irrational and dreamlike and dreamlike images or elements images or elements into realistic style or into realistic style or setting.setting.

Surprising and Surprising and unexpected unexpected juxtapositionsjuxtapositions

Seeks to engage Seeks to engage the unconscious the unconscious mind in creating mind in creating works of works of imagination.imagination.

19201920’’s -40s -40’’ss

Magical Realism in ArtMagical Realism in Art

Rob GonzalvesRob Gonzalves

Magical Realism in FilmMagical Realism in Film

Crouching Tiger Hidden DragonCrouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

Magical Realism DefinedMagical Realism Defined• Magical realism Magical realism is a literary style that generally is a literary style that generally

describes works that combine describes works that combine fantasy with reality fantasy with reality to create a to create a mythical occurrencemythical occurrence..

• Events Events don't follow our expectationsdon't follow our expectations of of ““if/thenif/then””, like most novels., like most novels.• ““If this happens, then this will follow.If this happens, then this will follow.””

• Things often Things often happen without an happen without an explanationexplanation, or for reasons that we don't , or for reasons that we don't expect. expect.

•

Magical RealismMagical Realism• Defies our expectation Defies our expectation of fictional selves.of fictional selves.

• In realistic novels, characters are given In realistic novels, characters are given individualized names, personalities, and family individualized names, personalities, and family histories. histories.

• We identify with them because their specific We identify with them because their specific humanity engages us, and their individuality humanity engages us, and their individuality resembles our own. resembles our own.

• Objects and places in magical realist novels Objects and places in magical realist novels behave in ways that they could not in a behave in ways that they could not in a realistic fictionrealistic fiction. .

Garcia Márquez on Magical RealismGarcia Márquez on Magical Realism• The question of The question of what is what is realreal is at the heart of magical is at the heart of magical

realism. realism.

• This Implies that This Implies that our notions of reality are too limitedour notions of reality are too limited—that reality includes magic, miracles and monsters. —that reality includes magic, miracles and monsters.

• By making things happen in his fictional world of By making things happen in his fictional world of MacondoMacondo that do not happen in most novels (or in most readers' that do not happen in most novels (or in most readers' experiences either), Garcia Marquez asks us to experiences either), Garcia Marquez asks us to question question our assumptions about our worldour assumptions about our world, and to examine our , and to examine our certainties about ourselves and our community. certainties about ourselves and our community.

• Because the magical events in Because the magical events in MacondoMacondo are presented are presented matter-of-factly, matter-of-factly, our own sense of what is possible is our own sense of what is possible is amplified and enrichedamplified and enriched. Ordinary objects and events . Ordinary objects and events are enchanted. are enchanted.

Garcia Márquez on Magical RealismGarcia Márquez on Magical Realism

• Suggests that Suggests that cultures and countries cultures and countries differ differ in what they call "real." in what they call "real."

• It is here that magical realism serves its It is here that magical realism serves its most important function, because it most important function, because it facilitates the facilitates the inclusion of alternative inclusion of alternative belief systemsbelief systems. .

Magical Realism vs. Science Magical Realism vs. Science Fiction/FantasyFiction/Fantasy

• The crucial difference between magical realism The crucial difference between magical realism and science fiction/fantasy is that and science fiction/fantasy is that magical magical realism sets magical events in realistic realism sets magical events in realistic contextscontexts, thus requiring us to question what is , thus requiring us to question what is "real," and how we can tell. "real," and how we can tell.

Elements included in Magical Elements included in Magical RealismRealism

• Hybridity - is illustrated in the inharmonious arenas of such opposites as urban and rural, and Western and indigenous. The plots of magical realist works involve issues of borders, mixing, and change… often Latin American, Native American, Middle Eastern

• Irony Regarding Author’s Perspective—The writer must have ironic distance from the magical world view for the realism not to be compromised. Authorial reticence refers to the lack of clear opinions about the accuracy of events and the credibility of the world views expressed by the characters in the text.

• Unusual sequence of events and POV – fragmented time sequences, flashbacks, stream of consciousness, frequently switching point of view

• The Supernatural and Natural—In magical realism, the supernatural is not displayed as questionable.

• Realistic setting and conflict Realistic setting and conflict (often points out or protests social or political concerns)(often points out or protests social or political concerns)

• Elements patterned on fairytales, tall tales, mythology, the mystic/spiritual, Elements patterned on fairytales, tall tales, mythology, the mystic/spiritual, folklorefolklore, and a bond with the traditions or faith of a community. Events presented as , and a bond with the traditions or faith of a community. Events presented as absolutely real and often go unquestioned but have dreamlike or fairy-tale like qualities.absolutely real and often go unquestioned but have dreamlike or fairy-tale like qualities.

Application to Application to BelovedBeloved

• Hybridity –Hybridity –

• Supernatural –Supernatural –

• Realistic Setting: Realistic Setting:

• Experimental structure:

• Folklore?Folklore?

Application to Application to BelovedBeloved

• Hybridity – morphing from the living to the dead and Hybridity – morphing from the living to the dead and the the ““living deadliving dead”” (not zombies). Also morphing from (not zombies). Also morphing from African to American, from slave to free…African to American, from slave to free…

• Supernatural –Supernatural –

• Realistic Setting: Realistic Setting:

• Experimental structure:

• Foiklore:

Application to Application to BelovedBeloved

• Hybridity – morphing from the living to the dead and Hybridity – morphing from the living to the dead and the the ““living deadliving dead”” (not zombies). Also morphing from (not zombies). Also morphing from African to American, from slave to free…African to American, from slave to free…

• Supernatural – a ghost haunts the house quite Supernatural – a ghost haunts the house quite literally but also metaphorically. The ghost literally but also metaphorically. The ghost materializes into a girl (this is questionable but there materializes into a girl (this is questionable but there are subtle hints)are subtle hints)

• Realistic Setting: Realistic Setting:

• Experimental structure:

• Folklore?

Application to Application to BelovedBeloved

• Hybridity – morphing from the living to the dead and the Hybridity – morphing from the living to the dead and the ““living deadliving dead”” (not zombies). Also morphing from African to (not zombies). Also morphing from African to American, from slave to free…American, from slave to free…

• Supernatural – a ghost haunts the house quite literally but Supernatural – a ghost haunts the house quite literally but also metaphorically. The ghost materializes into a girl (this also metaphorically. The ghost materializes into a girl (this is questionable but there are subtle hints)is questionable but there are subtle hints)

• Realistic Setting: Realistic Setting: Set in 1873 just after the American Civil War (1861–1865), it is based on the true story of the African-American slave, Margaret Garner, who escaped slavery in 1856 in Kentucky by fleeing to Ohio

• Experimental structure:

• Folklore?

Application to Application to BelovedBeloved

• Hybridity – morphing from the living to the dead and the Hybridity – morphing from the living to the dead and the ““living living deaddead”” (not zombies). Also morphing from African to American, (not zombies). Also morphing from African to American, from slave to free…from slave to free…

• Supernatural – a ghost haunts the house quite literally but also Supernatural – a ghost haunts the house quite literally but also metaphorically. The ghost materializes into a girl (this is metaphorically. The ghost materializes into a girl (this is questionable but there are subtle hints)questionable but there are subtle hints)

• Realistic Setting: Realistic Setting: Set in 1873 just after the American Civil War (1861–1865), it is based on the true story of the African-American slave, Margaret Garner, who escaped slavery in 1856 in Kentucky by fleeing to Ohio

• Experimental structure: non-linear, flashbacks, fragmentation in stories, multiple POV switching frequently, stream of consciousness

• Incorporation of African folklore and beliefs about death

Application to Application to BelovedBeloved

• Hybridity – morphing from the living to the dead and the Hybridity – morphing from the living to the dead and the ““living living deaddead”” (not zombies). Also morphing from African to American, (not zombies). Also morphing from African to American, from slave to free…from slave to free…

• Supernatural – a ghost haunts the house quite literally but also Supernatural – a ghost haunts the house quite literally but also metaphorically. The ghost materializes into a girl (this is metaphorically. The ghost materializes into a girl (this is questionable but there are subtle hints)questionable but there are subtle hints)

• Realistic Setting: Realistic Setting: Set in 1873 just after the American Civil War (1861–1865), it is based on the true story of the African-American slave, Margaret Garner, who escaped slavery in 1856 in Kentucky by fleeing to Ohio

• Experimental structure: non-linear, flashbacks, fragmentation in stories, multiple POV switching frequently, stream of consciousness

• Incorporation of African folklore and beliefs about death

What we need to look What we need to look for…for…

• How does MorrisonHow does Morrison’’s techniques (elements of s techniques (elements of magical realism) affect our interpretation and magical realism) affect our interpretation and experience of this story? experience of this story?

• How does magical realism and the structure of How does magical realism and the structure of the story reinforce the themes and meaning of the story reinforce the themes and meaning of the work as a whole?the work as a whole?