Magic Realism
What is Magic Realism?
About Magic
Realism…
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 It is an art movement
 It began during World War I
 It is a representation of art with with
elements of fantasy
 Its goal is to tap into emotional reservoirs
within all of us.
 It tricks us, and makes us question what is
real and what isn’t
About Magic Realism…
 If it is a mix of art and fantasy, then
what can constitute “art”?
 Literature…
 Magic realism is frequently used in
literature as well as in art
 Its goal is to represent the world
around us in a new and unfamiliar way
Magic Realism
 “Reality isn’t just ‘out there’, like
some block of cement: reality is
interpretation”
 What is an example from your own life
where you may interpret reality?
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Why Magic Realism?
 Why do you think that magic realism
emerged during the decades of the
30’s 40’s and 50’s?
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Magic Realism…
 It is fantastic or mythical elements into
seemingly realistic fiction.
 Essentially, I like to think of magic realism as
the blurring of the fantasy and reality
worlds.
 http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/my-crazy-
obsession-cabbage-patch-playdate.html
 http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/my-crazyobsession-simply-wigging-out.html
Verisimilitude
 This is another term
used to discuss the
notion of magic realism
 Essentially,
verisimilitude can be
defined as the
audience’s willingness to
accept the semblance of
reality in dramatic or
non-dramatic fiction.
Verisimilitude
 The author tries to present an
experience in their story that
incorporates science fiction or a tale of
the supernatural in a way that will
entice the audience to believe it is real
 The audience must be willing to
actively suspend their disbelieve and
accept the improbable as true or
possible within the framework of the
narrative.
Suspension of Disbelief
 “Fanatics do not have faith - they have
belief. With faith you let go. You trust,
whereas with belief you cling. One of
the things I dicovered, reading the
foudning texts of Islam, Christianity,
Hinduism - a good religion works like a
good novel: it makes you suspend your
disbelief”
Suspension of Disbelief
 What do you need to “let go” of or
“trust” in order to suspend your
disbelief?
 What does Martel mean when he says
that believers “cling”?
 Why is it important to suspend your
disbelief when reading a religious text,
or believing in your own faith?
Suspension of Disbelief
 The willing suspension of disbelief is when
the audience can accept a certain level of
implausibility in order to maintain the
favourability of the story.
 Suspension of disbelief becomes important
for the story to be accepted and
appreciated.
 Can you think of an example where you have
suspended your disbelief?
Reality
 “In a sense we co-create our reality. And we
do that all the time, every day. One day we
wake up and we’re in a great mood: the city
we live in is a beautiful city, the next day it’s
an ugly city. That’s just the way we interpret
things. We’re not free necessarily to choose
the facts of our life, but there is an element
of freedom in how we interpret them.”
Reality
 How does the previous quote by Yann
Martel relate to the videos that you
watched?
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Journal Response
Write a true account of an unbelievable
or unlikely experience you have had. If
you cannot think of such an
experience, you may choose an
experience you have had and
exaggerate it, or create one entirely.
Once you have decided on an account,
layer on an element of magic realism!