“Ordinary as miraculous and miraculous as ordinary” Magical Realism “Ordinary as miraculous and miraculous as ordinary”

To begin… Magical realism is a literary style that generally describes works that combine fantasy with reality. Magical realism is often described as a product of Latin America, but the German art critic Franz Roh is actually credited with coining the term (although he was talking about visual art that combines the everyday and fantastic).

Magical Realism It is often used in such a way that in 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. The setting is a normal, modern world with authentic descriptions of humans, society, and conflicts. In other words: it’s not Narnia, Forks WA, or Middle Earth. NOPE.

Magical Realism Fantastic things often happen without an explanation. The use of supernatural events does not seem strange or disconcerting because the supernatural world is integrated into the norms and perceptions of the narrator and characters. There’s not usually a clear ruling on the accuracy of events, or the credibility of characters. The author keeps their distance so as not to “ruin the magic.”

Magical Realism Defies or changes our expectation of fictional characters. Objects and places in magical realist novels behave in ways that they could not in a realistic fiction. But… does that mean we can’t relate to them? “Magical realism is a way of showing reality more truly.” Especially in Like Water for Chocolate, magical realism gives us a glimpse at a different type of reality: how characters can so deeply affected by something in their lives that reality reflects that.

Magical Realism Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia) Isabel Allende (Chile) Salman Rushdie (Britain, India) Sherman Alexie (Washington) Laura Esquivel (Mexico)

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.

Magical Realism in Art Rob Gonzales

Magical Realism in Film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

Magical Realism in Film