Feminism and Magical Realism Across Cultures as Expressed in Laura Esquivel's Like Water For Chocolate, Isabel Allende's The House of Spirits, Simone Schwarz-Bart's The Bridge of Beyond, and Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon. Magical Realism evolved only in the last century. Franz Roh was the first to use the term to describe paintings and the new style that had come about after the expressionistic era (7, p.15), however it was Alejo Carpentier who used it to describe Latin America's fanatastical writing styles (3, p.373). He felt that magical realism expounded upon reality and "was able to elude realism's insufficiency, in its inablility to describe an ex-centric experience"(3, p.373). Latin America, though perhaps the first to name the new writing phenomena, was not the only country to use it. In the course of this paper I will compare and contrast several different novels from female authors who evoked magical realism into their writing styles. These authors come from Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean, showing the wide range of history and environments. Feeling that the Caribbean alone may prove to narrow a topic for a style that has taken the world by storm, I felt it only fitting that other countries should be included the theme of women in the paper. Also, I selected Africa and parts of Latin America to compare to Caribbean writings because these two continents play a pivotal role in shaping what the Caribbean has become today. The novels I will be comparing are Laura Esquivel's Like Water For Chocolate, Isabel Allende's The House of Spirits, Simone Schwarz-Bart's The Bridge of Beyond, and Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon. All of these novels use magical realism, which adds to the reader's enjoyment while desc... ... middle of paper ... ... Works Cited Allende, Isabel. The House of Spirits. 1982. Bantam Books, New York. Allende, Isabel. http://www.harpercollins.com/catalog/0060927216.htm Cohn, Deborah. "To See or Not to See: Invisibility, Clairvoyance, and Re-visions of History in Invisible Man and La Casa de los Espiritus". Comparative Literature Studies, Vol. 33, No.4, p. 372-391, 1996. Ibsen, Krisitne. "On Recipes, Reading and Revolution: Postboon Parody in Como Aqua Para Chocolate". Hispanic Review, Vol. 63, No.2, p.133. 1995. Morrison, Toni-Social and Historical Context. http://www.oll.temple.edu/ih/IH52/Novels/Morrison/MorrisonContext.htm Schwarz-Bart, Simone. The Bridge of Beyond. 1972. Heinemann Educational Publishers, Oxford. Zamora, Lois Parikinson and Wendy B. Faris. Magical Realism. 1995. Duke University Press, Durham and London.
Faris, Wendy B. "Scherazade's Children: Magical Realism and Postmodern Fiction." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham; N.C.: Duke UP, 1995.
Zamora, Lois Parkinson, and Wendy B. Faris. Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Durham: Duke University Press, 1995.
money given by Cladius to the Iceni was only a loan and had to be
Magical Realism is one of today's most popular subjects in literature to discuss regarding its history and theory of Magical Realism. It began in the Latin culture and now is known word wide for its attributes. Magical Realism is even rivaling some of the great masterpieces of modern and past literature. Someday Magical Realism will be recognized and respected just as the classics are today.
Sarah Orne Jewett's "The Foreigner," Kate Chopin's "An Egyptian Cigarette" and Willa Cather's "The Enchanted Bluff" are all stories that contain Magic Realism Magic Realism is typically defined as a construct of many writers from Third World countries. This style of writing realistic fiction wherein the extraordinary occurs and is not thought of as unusual has been described as a way of breaking away from the constraints of linear time and hierarchical thinking: in other words, as a way of escaping the patriarchal modes of writing that have dominated these often post-colonial countries. The definition of this form of fiction writing can be expanded to include women as representatives of repressed cultures. As writers, these women were often trivialized as "scribblers" during a time women could not even vote, and they could be considered "colonized" by their culture. Therefore, Sarah Orne Jewett's "The Foreigner," Kate Chopin's "An Egyptian Cigarette" and Willa Cather's "The Enchanted Bluff" are all stories that can and should be discussed in the context of Magic Realism-- do they or do they not fit within this style of re-writing reality?
some that I shall show, and I will make thee think thy swan a crow.”
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet `Romeo and Juliet` is one of the best love stories of all time but although Shakespeare wrote the play, the story wasn't original. It all started hundreds of years before Shakespeare was born, in Italy when myths and folktales travelled about two young lovers from enemy families. After that, a poem was written called `The tragical history of Romeus and Juliet` by Arthur Brooke in 1562. So although Shakespeare's ideas weren't original, he has developed the basic ideas so well that now the whole world are familiar with the deeply touching love story of `Romeo and Juliet`.
At the start of the play we meet the Chorus not a character but a
...ical Realism and Postmodern Fiction." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995. 163-189.
Throughout time, one finds many different categories of literature. Magical Realism, a relatively new category, seems to be one of, if not the most, controversial category of the last century. Magical Realism combines a magical, often grotesque, element with a reality based background and allows the reader to view life in a more profound way. The field of psychology, specifically the case of the Wild Child known as Genie, parallels very closely with the ideals of Magical Realism.
Simpkins, Scott. "Sources of Magical Realism/ Supplements to Realism in Contemporary Latin American Literature." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 145-159.
Magical realism, by definition, is a literary style that addresses social concerns, but masks the...
Louise Erdrich’s stories combine wildly dynamic characters with metaphoric language and elements of the supernatural to create tales that challenge the demarcations of cultural reality. In her stories “Plunge of the Brave,” “Scales,” and “Fleur,” Erdrich utilizes magical realism to help mystic elements seem more relatable to readers. The short stories, while otherwise straight-forward, are infused with touches of colorful language and mystic descriptions that, many critics claim, classifies Erdrich as a magical realist author. She uses magical realism in her stories to encourage readers to reconsider perceived ideas and question the determined realities of ethnic or cultural groups. By adding a few elements of the supernatural, Erdrich is actually inviting readers to expand their knowledge of different cultures and perceptions of the world.
Faris, Wendy B. "Scheherazade's Children: Magical Realism and Postmodern Fiction". Magical Realism Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham: Duke U.P., 1995. 163-190.
Some of the most important themes of the play are shown in Act 1 Scene