Magical Realism as a Fusion of Fantasy and Reality Essay -- Literature

Magical Realism as a Fusion of Fantasy and Reality      Ã‚   One month ago, I had never heard of Magical Realism. Since reading the four essays by Franz Roh, Angel Flores, Luis Leal and Amaryll Chanaday and various internet articles, I have a much better understanding of Magical Realism - what it is, how it applies to literature, how it applies to art, and its theory, history, and style.    Magical Realism is a fusion of fantasy and reality. According to Flores, it is a "transformation of common and everyday into the awesome and unreal" (114). This is not even and equal mix. Magical Realism is reality-based with just one fantastic overstatement. This overstatement is described by Pietri as "a kind of extreme state," and that it "favors the unexpected richness of reality" (qtd. in Leal 121). This one fantastic element is always accepted as reality by the characters in the story. It also has hidden meanings in a deeper realm. "The mystery does not descend to the present world but rather hides and palpitates behind it" (Roh 16). Magical Realism is subject to a certain control and is mainly used to show a different way of viewing the world. In this form of expression, the plots are always logically conceived. Magical Realism also expresses emotions without evoking them. In Magical Realism, "key events have no logical or psychological explanation" and "the author does not need to justify the mystery of events" (Leal 123). as a science fiction or fantastic author would. Also, unlike in sci-fi and fantasy stories, the author clings to reality. Flores describes this characteristic by saying the authors "cling to reality as if to prevent 'literature' from getting in their way, as if to prevent their myth from flying off, as i... ...t be literature that is reality based but contains at least one fantastic element that is unexplained but accepted. Now that I understand what it is, I am beginning to find more examples of it all around me. I am looking forward to reading examples of this unusual and interesting genre.    Works Cited Flores, Angel. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Fiction." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkison Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham; N.C.: Duke UP,1995:109-118. Leal, Luis. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkison Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham; N.C.: Duke UP,1995:119-124. Roh, Franz. "Magic Realism: Post-Expressionism." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkison Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham; N.C.: Duke UP,1995:15-31.