The History, Theory, and Evolution of Magical Realism Essay -- Literat

The History, Theory, and Evolution of Magical Realism What comes to mind when one hears the word magical? He or she probably thinks of charms, spells, wizards, and disappearing doves. The term Realism may represent the everyday world-that with which we are already familiar. Could these two words ever be coupled unneurotic to represent one idea? Magical Realism represents the marriage of these two words. A name originally given to a new art casting in the azoic twentieth century, Magical Realism evolved into a literary genre and now represents much more-an attitude, the window through which to view the world, a doctrine of life. By examining the history, theory, and evolution of Magical Realism, this term, seemingly an oxymoron, will make sense. The term Magical Realism is thought by most critics to have originated in the early twentieth century as a new art form. Franz Roh, to whom we attribute having coined the term, describes this new art form in his 1925 article Magical Reali sm military post Expressionism. Roh defines Magical Realism through a chronological examination of artistic styles preceding this new art. The two periods on which he focuses primarily are Impressionism and Expressionism. Impressionism, which preceded Expressionism, concentrate on the artists desire to portray something that existed in reality. An artist may examine the texture, light, or the shapes of an object. The portrayal was simply a caricature of reality, with no significant meat or stimulation other than the obvious, realistic qualities with which viewers were already familiar. Expressionism, in contrast, sought to portray something with a very deep meaning, refusing to portray reality because it was also mundane and familiar. Intelle... ...Works Cited Chanady, Amaryll. The Territorialization of the Imaginary in Latin America Self-Affirmation and Resistance to Metropolitan Paradigms. Magical Realism Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Far is. Durham, N.C. Duke UP, 1995 125-144. Flores, Angel. Magical Realism in Spanish American Fiction. Magical Realism Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C. Duke UP, 1995 109-117. 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. Roh, Franz. Magic Realism Post-Expressionism. Magical Realism Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C. Duke UP,1995 15-31.