Magical realism definition and characteristics

English 6 with Ms. Servera
Gives the definition and characteristics of magical realism

1. Magical Realism

2. What is magical realism? A literary or artistic genre in which a realistic story and naturalistic* technique are combined with surreal elements of dream or the supernatural. a genre where magical or unreal elements play a natural part in an otherwise realistic (often mundane) environment (Wiki) The blending of fantasy and reality so that the distinction between the two is erased Gabriel Garcia Marquez: "In Mexico, surrealism runs through the streets. Surrealism comes from the reality of Latin America.” Franz Roh : “The ordinary as miraculous and the miraculous as ordinary.”

3. Main Traits Real-world setting Fantastical elements From dreams From the mythological From fairy tales Nonlinear time

4. Common Characteristics Authorial reticence Plenitude Political critique Hybridity Heightened awareness of mystery Metafiction

5. Authorial Reticence Big Fish (2003)

6. Plenitude Fantasia 2000 : “Symphony No. 5”

7. Political Critique Pleasantville (1995)

8. Hybridity A Little Princess (1995)

9. Heightened Awareness of Mystery The Prestige (2003)

10. Metafiction Stranger than Fiction (2006)

11. Magical Realism Common Characteristics Authorial Reticence : The narrator speaks indifferently when describing fantastical events or details. Magical events are presented as ordinary occurrences; therefore, the reader accepts the marvelous as normal and common.   Plenitude : Giving an extraordinary abundance ( plenty ) of disorienting detail. The layering of several elements.   Hybridity : Connecting two, often opposing, “realities” to appear simultaneously together. Ex. urban and rural, Western and indigenous, 17 th century and 20 th century   Metafiction : Exploring the impact fiction has on reality, reality on fiction, and the reader and narrator’s roles in between. Drawing attention to itself as a work of fiction. Ex. a movie about making a movie   Heightened Awareness of Mystery : The reader must let go of preexisting ties to conventional exposition, plot advancement, linear time structure, scientific reason, etc., to strive for a state of heightened awareness of life's connectedness or hidden meanings. Open-mindedness of things that cannot be explained in a conventional way . Letting go of conventions to explore life’s hidden meanings   Political Critique : An implicit criticism of society, particularly the elite. Focuses on the marginalized, the geographical, social, and economic minorities and outcasts of societies. Therefore, magic realism's ‘alternative world’ works to correct the reality of established viewpoint