Magical Realism

What is it? A literary mode, not a genre Magical elements blend with the real world; blend in as a normal part of life Full of imagery, symbolism, and emotional and sensory details Dreamlike sequences are common as is the incorporation of folklore and myth Became popular in Latin American literature

Characteristics of Magical Realism A magic which cannot be explained by typical notions of natural law. 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. It causes the reader to be drawn between the two views of reality. These two visions or realms nearly merge or intersect. Time is both history and the timeless; space is often challenged; identity is broken down at times.

How it differs from fantasy set in a normal, modern world with authentic descriptions of humans and society

Why use it? Show the paradox of the union of opposites To show two conflicting perspectives, one based on a rational view of reality and the other on the acceptance of the supernatural as reality.

Of Moths and Oil We know the ocean was painted black that day. We curled up in the bottom of a continent and hoped the waves flowed north. Every time I think I know pain, I remember the fire I watched burn on the edge of a city and I hurt again.There were two boys there, playing by the stream. We believed no one could become the brilliant sunrise, the same glow that birds return to each spring. So we slept in, despite an open window, the small leak underground, the notes carried in beaks. Where did the moths flutter that morning? I saw them in the trees, hoping (if moths can hope) to vanish into the bark. And if they can hope and vanish, maybe we can too, like wings hitting the glass, my bedroom window never rests when the moon is out, calling paper into the sky, taking the night out of the ocean.

Pleasantville A perfect TV-show town from the 1950s Everything always works out Everything is perfect Two of the kids in the town have been replaced by modern-day kids This scene: David (from our time) tells Skip that his sister (also from out time) might not want to go on a date with him…

Pleasantville