Magic Realism is a literary genre that is not commonly known by everybody. When asked, many people relate it to fantasy or wonder how magic can be realistic. But Magic Realism is something totally different than fantasy. The setting is always realistic and only few magic elements occur. This essay gives a brief history of the development of Magic Realism and it discusses some features that are used in Magic Realist writing. Next it shows examples of Magic Realist elements in the short story The Day I Sat with Jesus and the Wind Came Up and Blew My Kimono open and He Saw my Breasts by Canadian Author Gloria Sawai and finally offers suggestions why Magic Realism is mostly common in Latin America and why Canadian writers also have similar prerequisites.
Table of Contents
- Magic Realism in Fictional Writing
- A Brief History of Magic Realism
- Magic Realism in Latin America and Canada
- Features of Magic Realist Writing
- Examples of Magic Realist Elements in "The Day I Sat with Jesus"
Objectives and Key Themes
This essay aims to provide an overview of magic realism as a literary genre, exploring its historical development, its prevalence in Latin American literature, and its connection to Canadian writing. It analyzes key features of magic realist writing and illustrates these features through a close reading of Gloria Sawai's short story, "The Day I Sat with Jesus on the Sun Deck and a Wind Came Up and Blew My Kimono Open and He Saw My Breasts."
- The historical development of magic realism as a literary genre.
- The reasons for the genre's association with Latin American and Canadian literature.
- Key stylistic features of magic realist writing, such as hybridity, authorial reticence, and ironic distance.
- An analysis of how these features are employed in Sawai's short story.
- A discussion of the controversial nature of the term "magic realism" and its application in contemporary literature.
Chapter Summaries
Magic Realism in Fictional Writing: This introductory section defines magic realism, differentiating it from fantasy. It emphasizes that magic realism depicts a realistic setting with only a few magical elements, viewed from the perspective of characters whose reality differs from objective reality. The section introduces the essay's focus: exploring the genre's history, its prevalence in Latin America and Canada, its key features, and illustrating these with examples from Gloria Sawai's "The Day I Sat with Jesus."
A Brief History of Magic Realism: This section traces the origin of the term "magic realism" to Franz Roh's 1925 work on visual arts, explaining its later adoption and application to literature, particularly in Latin America. The section highlights the shift in meaning from Roh's original context to its literary usage, emphasizing the acceptance of inherent magic within reality rather than a depiction of the unreal. It notes the significant influence of the term's introduction into Spanish-language literary circles and the subsequent association of the genre with Latin American authors like Borges and García Márquez.
Magic Realism in Latin America and Canada: This section explores the reasons for magic realism's strong association with Latin American literature, citing the diverse natural landscape and the influence of indigenous spiritual traditions. It then draws parallels between Latin America and Canada, highlighting the similar presence of diverse natural landscapes and indigenous cultures in Canada (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis), suggesting that these provide a similar foundation for the development of magic realist narratives in Canadian literature.
Features of Magic Realist Writing: This section delves into the key stylistic features of magic realist writing. It discusses "hybridity," the juxtaposition of contrasting settings (city vs. countryside) and the exploration of borders and change, aiming to create a deeper, truer reality. It also covers "authorial reticence," where the author avoids offering opinions on the events or characters' worldviews, preserving the credibility of the supernatural elements. The concept of "ironic distance" is further explained as a crucial element in balancing the realistic and magical perspectives without discrediting either. Finally, it highlights the seamless integration of the supernatural into the characters' and narrator's perceptions, making the magical events appear normal within the fictional world.
Examples of Magic Realist Elements in "The Day I Sat with Jesus": This section provides a detailed analysis of Gloria Sawai's "The Day I Sat with Jesus," showcasing how the short story exemplifies the features of magic realism discussed earlier. The seemingly ordinary setting and protagonist are contrasted with the extraordinary event of Jesus' visit. The detailed description of this event, coupled with the author's reticence and the protagonist's matter-of-fact acceptance, effectively integrates the magical element into the realistic setting. The analysis highlights the use of exaggeration in the description of a woman in a Tokyo bathhouse, contrasting it with the ordinary setting of Moose Jaw, Canada, thereby illustrating "hybridity." The essay concludes by emphasizing how Sawai's story achieves its effect by guiding the reader to perceive the world through the protagonist's eyes, making the incredible feel real.
Keywords
Magic realism, Latin American literature, Canadian literature, Gloria Sawai, "The Day I Sat with Jesus," hybridity, authorial reticence, ironic distance, fantastic realism, literary genre, indigenous cultures, realistic setting, supernatural elements.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview of Magic Realism
What is the overall focus of this language preview?
This preview offers a comprehensive overview of magic realism as a literary genre. It explores its historical development, its prominence in Latin American and Canadian literature, and its key stylistic features. The preview uses Gloria Sawai's short story, "The Day I Sat with Jesus on the Sun Deck and a Wind Came Up and Blew My Kimono Open and He Saw My Breasts," as a case study to illustrate these features.
What topics are covered in the table of contents?
The table of contents includes: Magic Realism in Fictional Writing; A Brief History of Magic Realism; Magic Realism in Latin America and Canada; Features of Magic Realist Writing; and Examples of Magic Realist Elements in "The Day I Sat with Jesus."
What are the key objectives and themes explored?
The preview aims to analyze the historical development of magic realism, its connection to Latin American and Canadian literature, and its key stylistic features (hybridity, authorial reticence, and ironic distance). It provides a close reading of Sawai's story to exemplify these features and discusses the controversial nature of the term "magic realism" itself.
What is a summary of each chapter?
The preview provides chapter summaries outlining the definition and differentiation of magic realism from fantasy; tracing the historical development of the term and its literary application; exploring the reasons for its association with Latin American and Canadian literature; detailing key stylistic features like hybridity, authorial reticence, and ironic distance; and finally, a detailed analysis of Sawai's story as an example of magic realism.
What are the key stylistic features of magic realist writing discussed?
The key stylistic features discussed include hybridity (juxtaposition of contrasting settings), authorial reticence (the author's avoidance of explicit opinions), and ironic distance (balancing realistic and magical perspectives). The seamless integration of the supernatural into the narrative is also highlighted.
How does the preview analyze Gloria Sawai's "The Day I Sat with Jesus"?
The preview analyzes Sawai's story to illustrate the features of magic realism. It examines how the story integrates the extraordinary (Jesus' visit) into an ordinary setting, utilizing the author's reticence and the protagonist's matter-of-fact acceptance. The analysis highlights the use of hybridity through contrasting settings and the effect of guiding the reader to perceive the incredible as real through the protagonist's perspective.
What are the keywords associated with this language preview?
The keywords include: Magic realism, Latin American literature, Canadian literature, Gloria Sawai, "The Day I Sat with Jesus," hybridity, authorial reticence, ironic distance, fantastic realism, literary genre, indigenous cultures, realistic setting, and supernatural elements.
What is the difference between magic realism and fantasy?
The preview differentiates magic realism from fantasy by emphasizing that magic realism depicts a realistic setting with only a few magical elements, viewed from the perspective of characters whose reality differs from objective reality. The magical elements are presented as ordinary within the context of the story.
Why is magic realism strongly associated with Latin American and Canadian literature?
The strong association with Latin American literature is attributed to the diverse natural landscape and the influence of indigenous spiritual traditions. Similar parallels are drawn with Canada, highlighting the diverse natural landscapes and indigenous cultures (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) as a foundation for magic realist narratives.
- Quote paper
- Lisa Jensen (Author), 2009, Magic Realism in fictional writing, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/181175
