Warm-up With a partner next to you, sort the words into two columns, giving each column a label/name; be ready to explain/defend your sorting reasoning. – 10 minutes. Magical Realism WORLD LITERATURE To begin… Magical realism is a literary style that generally describes works that combine fantasy with reality to create a mythical occurrence. Magical realism is often described as a unique product of Latin America, but German Franz Roh is actually credited for its inception. “Roh introduced it into artistic discourse in the mid-1920s through the German phrase Magischer Realismus” (Simpkins 141). Latin American authors were drawn to Roh‟s literary concept because it proved to be “a suitable means to express the „marvelous reality‟ unique to their own culture” (141). Authors employ this technique so that mythical occurrences do not seem odd to the characters at all. The characters accept the supernatural incidents as a part of everyday life. Magical Realism To define magical realism:The frame or surface of the work may be conventionally realistic, but contrasting elements invade the realism and change the whole basis of the art. Supernatural Myth Dream Fantasy Magical Realism vs. Science Fiction/Fantasy How can we tell the difference? The crucial difference between magical realism and science fiction/fantasy is that magical realism sets magical events in realistic contexts, thus requiring us to question what is "real," and how we can tell. Magical Realism important aspects Events don't follow our expectations of ―if/then‖, like most novels. ―If this happens, then this will follow.‖ Things often happen without an explanation, or for reasons that we don't expect. Magical Realism Defies our expectation of fictional selves. In realistic novels, characters are given individualized names, personalities, and family histories. We identify with them because their specific humanity engages us, and their individuality resembles our own. Objects and places in magical realist novels behave in ways that they could not in a realistic fiction. Garcia Márquez on Magical Realism The question of what is real is at the heart of magical realism. This implies that our notions of reality are too limited—that reality includes magic, miracles and monsters. It is here that magical realism serves its most important function, because it facilitates the inclusion of alternative belief systems. Magical Realism in Film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Cinderella Realistic Unrealistic Sources Zamora, Lois Parkinson. ―Magical Realism in a Nutshell.‖ Oprah’s Book Club. <http://www.oprah.com/obc_classic/featbook/oyos/magic/ oyos_magic_nutshell.jhtml>. Harmon & Holman. A Handbook to Literature. 10th ed. The end….