Magic Realism Questions
Bring on the tough stuff. There's not just one right answer.
- Given that Magic Realism is full of the fantastic, how and why do we distinguish it from other genres, such as sci-fi and fantasy?
- Magic Realism is very closely associated with the Latin American Boom that lasted from the 1960s to the 1980s. Why do you think Magic Realism developed and spread specifically in Latin America?
- Why is it that Magic Realist writers tend to use a matter-of-fact narrative style, even when writing about the fantastic? What is the aim or goal of such a narrative perspective?
- What are some of the contrasts and similarities between Magic Realist literary styles as they developed in various parts of the world? For instance, how does Latin American Magic Realism differ from or parallel European or South Asian Magic Realism?
- In what ways does Magic Realism revise or challenge our notions of reality?
- Magic Realist texts often comment on and critique political oppression and injustice. Why do you think the Magic Realist style lends itself to such political critique?
- How does Magic Realist fiction challenge or critique the notion of linear time?
- How does Magic Realism compare to or differ from Surrealism?
- Why do you think Magic Realist writers are so interested in mythology? How do they use mythology to create a Magic Realist worldview?
- Given that Magic Realist writers have a lot in common with Postmodernist writers, why don't we just call them Postmodernist writers? Is Magic Realism just a subset of Postmodernism, or is it something altogether different?