This course will focus on “magical realism” as a narrative technique in fiction and film. The term magical realism became popular in the 1960s, following the translation into English of certain Latin American authors, particularly Gabriel García Márquez and Jorge Luis Borges. Some commentators welcomed it as a new genre; others have said there is nothing new about it. But even if the joining of magical with realism is not entirely new, the work of Márquez and Borges prompted a way of writing that refreshed the imagination of world authors, including those in America.
What, then, is this way of story telling referred to as magical realism? Is it a useful term? How does it differ, if at all, from fantasy, science fiction, fairy tales, Surrealism, and other narrative forms that are clearly not intended to mirror “real” life? To explore these questions, we’ll look at examples of story telling from places other than Latin America: North America, Asia, and Europe. We’ll ask a lot of questions and learn by comparing and discussing. For convenience, we’ll start by assuming that magical realism merges in a particular way what is commonly called realism with something commonly called magical: in such stories, the real and the magical may tend to define or re-define each other. But how? With what result? And what is the particular way in which magic and real are merged that might make magical realism a useful description?
The content of the class will consist of stories, a novel, and a few films from different cultural contexts, along with plenty of questioning. Expect a lot of (interesting and magical) reading and writing.
Minimum Requirements
- thoughtful midterm and final papers
- a written response of one-page or more every week on the class blog
- thorough reading of every assignment
- engaged, active participation in class discussions
- perfect, on-time attendance
Required books: To be announced