Magical Realism is both one of my favorite styles of writing and one of my most hated. I love it because it is amazing when it comes to the idea of magic in terms of metaphor, which I absolutely adore analyzing. However, actually reading it can be infuriating because at it's most metaphor-ness it will just make you go, "Why?"
Magical Realism is a style of magic where the supernatural elements of a story are depict as being reality. A good way to look at if something is Magical Realism is to not just look at how the supernatural is reacted to in the world of the story, but also how it is depicted in the actual text (or image or film depending on the medium). Looking are Urban Fantasy as a counter point, the supernatural in those stories typically are presented as magical, not mundane. While magic in something like Harry Potter is shown as an everyday part of the wizarding world, it is still presented as wondrous through the eyes of Harry. Magical Realism would be if if a mother was so mean that the baby cried while in the womb. The baby then cried so much that when she was eventually born, all the tears flooded out into the room. The midwife then used the salt from the tears to cook, and then this was never talked about again. If you want to read a good example of magical realism, I recommend Like Water For Chocolate. It's were the previous example is from.
So, what does it mean and how can we use this?
First off, magic is typically more then just a supernatural force. It means something, or represents something. In Like Water For Chocolate, the supernatural is representative of strong emotions. Lust, Sorrow, Joy, Hatred, Passion. These feelings create the physical changes in the world. Now, not all magic will relate in this way. It's important to be mindful of what the supernatural force is doing. It is equally important to identify what it isn't doing. With one of the hallmarks of Magical Realism being how it is not depicted as different from the rest of the world, it can be just as important to see when the supernatural is not prevalent. If magic means one thing, then if magic isn't present something else is being said.
Another thing worth considering is how this was created. Magical Realism appeared independently in both post colonial Latin America and post colonial Africa. Without being influenced by each other, Magical Realism could be seen as a rebellion against the powers that ruled the area.
Okay, that's the basics of Magical Realism, and how to use it. As with anything, this is just my own take on the subject, and you can and should read more into it. Until next time my name is Jackson and this has been A Study in Narrative
Magical Realism is a style of magic where the supernatural elements of a story are depict as being reality. A good way to look at if something is Magical Realism is to not just look at how the supernatural is reacted to in the world of the story, but also how it is depicted in the actual text (or image or film depending on the medium). Looking are Urban Fantasy as a counter point, the supernatural in those stories typically are presented as magical, not mundane. While magic in something like Harry Potter is shown as an everyday part of the wizarding world, it is still presented as wondrous through the eyes of Harry. Magical Realism would be if if a mother was so mean that the baby cried while in the womb. The baby then cried so much that when she was eventually born, all the tears flooded out into the room. The midwife then used the salt from the tears to cook, and then this was never talked about again. If you want to read a good example of magical realism, I recommend Like Water For Chocolate. It's were the previous example is from.
So, what does it mean and how can we use this?
First off, magic is typically more then just a supernatural force. It means something, or represents something. In Like Water For Chocolate, the supernatural is representative of strong emotions. Lust, Sorrow, Joy, Hatred, Passion. These feelings create the physical changes in the world. Now, not all magic will relate in this way. It's important to be mindful of what the supernatural force is doing. It is equally important to identify what it isn't doing. With one of the hallmarks of Magical Realism being how it is not depicted as different from the rest of the world, it can be just as important to see when the supernatural is not prevalent. If magic means one thing, then if magic isn't present something else is being said.
Another thing worth considering is how this was created. Magical Realism appeared independently in both post colonial Latin America and post colonial Africa. Without being influenced by each other, Magical Realism could be seen as a rebellion against the powers that ruled the area.
Okay, that's the basics of Magical Realism, and how to use it. As with anything, this is just my own take on the subject, and you can and should read more into it. Until next time my name is Jackson and this has been A Study in Narrative
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