1. Magical Realism

2. WHO DICTATES WHAT IS REAL OR NOT?

3. To begin… Magical realism is a literary style that generally describes works that combine fantasy with reality to create a mythical occurrence. Realism in literature = mostly Western perception of reality Something is real if we perceive it to be real Magic realism or modern day fables that question reality (by mixing fantastic elements) show us that Western literature is just ONE WAY of perceiving the world. Authors employ this technique throughout their novels and short stories in such a way that the mythical occurrences do not seem odd to the characters at all. The characters accept the supernatural incidents as a part of everyday life.

4. To begin… Magical realism is a realist description that stresses normal, common, every-day phenomena, which is then revised or "refelt" by the marvelous. Extreme or amplified states of mind or setting are often used to accomplish this (This distinguishes the genre from pure myth or fantasy) It causes the reader to be drawn between the two views of reality. These two visions or realms nearly merge or intersect.

5. To begin… Although this strategy is known in the literature of many cultures in many ages, the term magic realism is a relatively recent designation, first applied in the 1940s by Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier, who recognized this characteristic in much Latin-American literature. Some scholars argue that magic realism is a natural outcome of postcolonial writing, which must make sense of at least two separate realities—the reality of the conquerors as well as that of the conquered. Prominent among the Latin-American magic realists are the Colombian Gabriel García Márquez, the Brazilian Jorge Amado, the Argentines Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortazar, and the Chilean Isabel Allende.

6. Magical Realism Examples of its popularity in many parts of the world just after WWII  Jorge Luis Borges (Argentina, South America)  Gabriel García Márquez (Columbia, South America)  Isabel Allende (Chile, South America)  Günter Grass (Germany)  Italo Calvino (Italy)  Umberto Eco (Italy) Why do you think magical realism was so popular after WWII?

7. Magical Realism Events don’t follow our expectations of “if/then,” like most novels.  Typical expectation: “If this happens, then this will follow.” Things often happen without an explanation, or for reasons that we don't expect.  Example from Like Water for Chocolate: Remedios the Beauty rises to heaven with her sister-in-law's sheets. No reason is given, and her sister-in-law Fernanda does not wonder how this could happen. She accepts it without surprise, and only regrets that she has lost her sheets.

8. Garcia Marquez on Magical Realism The question of what is real is at the heart of magical realism. This implies that our notions of reality are too limited—that reality includes magic, miracles, and monsters. Garcia Marquez asks us to question our assumptions about our world, and to examine our certainties about ourselves and our community. Because the magical events are presented matter-of-factly, our own sense of what is possible is amplified and enriched. Ordinary objects and events are enchanted. Marquez actually refused the label of “magical realism.” He protested that he is not a magical realist but a realist, and that there isn't a single thing in his fiction that hasn't really happened to him or someone he knows.

9. Garcia Márquez on Magical Realism Suggests that cultures and countries differ in what they call “real.” It is here that magical realism serves its most important function, because it facilitates the inclusion of alternative belief systems. It is no coincidence that magical realism is flourishing in cultures such as Mexico and Colombia, where European and indigenous cultures have mixed, with the result that ancient myths are often just beneath the surface of modernity.

10. "Magical realism expands the categories of the real so as to encompass myth, magic and other extraordinary phenomena in Nature or experience which European realism excluded" - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

11. Magical Realism vs. Science Fiction/Fantasy The crucial difference between magical realism and science fiction/fantasy is that magical realism sets magical events in realistic contexts, thus requiring us to question what is "real," and how we can tell.

12. How is this different from the fables we encountered when we were children? Magical Realism vs. Fables

13. The Ant and the Grasshopper In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?" "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."

14. "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing, every day, corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew... It is best to prepare for the days of necessity. The Ant and the Grasshopper

15. ANCIENT FABLES  Symbolic characters (flat caricatures of good and bad)  Fantastic elements (talking animals)  Clear, explicitly stated moral lesson  Purpose: present allegory for real life MAGIC REALISM  Realistic characters (round and complex)  Realism and fantasy combined  Ambiguous moral lesson; hidden in symbols or no definite lesson - raises questions/ issues  Purpose: challenge realism - what is real?

16. Magical Realism in Art Rob Gonzalves

17. Magical Realism in Film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon