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 oceanwas painted black that day.We curled up in the bottomof a continent and hopedthe waves flowed north.Every time I thinkI know pain, I remember the fireI watched burn on the edge of a cityand I hurt again.There were two boys there, playingby the stream. We believedno one could become the brilliantsunrise, the same glow that birdsreturn to each spring.So we slept in, despite an openwindow, 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 windownever 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