Scholars have debated the defining characteristics of Magical Realism since its infancy as an emerging art form in the early twentieth century. From Franz Roh, the art critic who coined the term Magical Realism, to contemporary leading scholars such as Amaryll Chanady, a myriad of confusion has surrounded this term. In an effort to narrow the defining boundaries of what constitutes Magical Realism, short stories labeled as Magical Realism can be examined for their degree of adherence to the cardinal characteristics most scholars attribute to Magical Realism. Here, “The Porcelain Doll,” a short story by the nineteenth century author Leo Tolstoy, can be used to illustrate common confusions surrounding the term Magical Realism. This short story was included in the 1984 book Magical Realist Fiction: An Anthology. By identifying the characteristics that seem inconsistent with the characteristics most critics ascribe to Magical Realist literature, a more concise understanding of Magical Realism can be obtained.
“The text [magical realist text] contains an ‘irreducible element’ of magic, something we cannot explain according to the laws of the universe as we know them” (Faris 167). In addition to these “magical” elements, Magical Realist fiction, by name, includes “realistic” elements that serve to counterbalance the “magical” elements. The plots are logically conceived (Leal 120). An amalgamation of realistic and magical elements is presented by true Magical Realist authors through specific devices. These devices serve as the first basis for evaluating a work of literature and determining whether or not it fits into the Magical Realist mode.
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…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.
Leal, Luis. “Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature.” Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995. 119-124.
Simpkins, Scott. “Sources of Magic 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.
Todorov, Tzvetan. The Fantastic: A Structural Approach to a Literary Form. Cleveland: The Press of Case Western Reserve University, 1973. 168-174.
Tolstoy, Leo. “The Porcelain Doll.” Magical Realist Fiction: An Anthology. New York: Longman, Inc., 1984. 33-36.
Relationship between Sublime and Magical Realism Explored in The Monkey
Relationship between Sublime and Magical Realism Explored in The Monkey
From the beginning of The Monkey, a short story located within Isak Dinesen’s anthology Seven Gothic Tales, the reader is taken back to a “storytime” world he or she may remember from childhood. Dinesen’s 1934 example of what has been identified as the “Gothic Sublime” sets the stage for analysis of its relationship to other types of literature. What constitutes Sublime literature? More importantly, how may sublime literature relate to Magical Realist literature? Through examination of The Monkey, the relationship between Sublime literature and Magical Realist literature can be defined.
Scholars have traced the history of Sublime literature back to the third century literary critic Longinus. In his work Peri Hypsos, he lays the groundwork for the Sublime literature that still exists today. “Sublimity is always an eminence and excellence in language” (qtd. in Arensberg 3). “Excellence and eminence” are conveyed through rhetorical devices found in the text. Many of these devices are also found in works identified as Magical Realist works of literature.
Longinus’ characteristics are evidenced throughout The Monkey. One such characteristic is the use of elevated language to describe a scene or action:
The Prioress received her nephew within her lofty parlor. Its three tall
windows looked out, between heavy curtains which had on them borders
of flower garlands done in cross-stich, over the lawns and avenues of the
autumnal garden. From the damask-clad walls her long-departed father
and mother gazed down, out of broad gilt frames, with military gravity
and youthful grace, powered and laced for some gr…
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…ic realms cannot merge.
For these reasons, based on the examination of these two works, one cannot assume that Sublime literature and Magical Realist literature are the same, nor can one assume that they are genres of one another. They seem to have many characteristics in common, and therefore one would assume that they maintain a close relationship, although independently. By comparing and contrasting another genre of literature with Magical Realism, the defining boundaries that make up Magical Realism are narrowed.
Works Cited
Arensberg, Mary. The American Sublime. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1986.
Dinesen, Isak. Seven Gothic Tales. New York: Harrison Smith and Robert Haas Inc., 1934.
Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
Longinus. On the Sublime. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1995.