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LiuDew
12-12-2014, 01:37 PM
Hi guys. Newie here so show me some love. :)

Hope you all are doing well!

Alright so I got an exam in my question asking me to explain the political significance of magical realism. I did not know the exact idea so I wrote that verbal clutter became more prominent after the WW2 and masses were disillusioned. This caused them to accept the unreal or extraordinary which is provided by magical realism itself and this signifies a transition to a post modern form of writing. Perhaps, this is how we can say that magical realism, in a way, becomes more important after such devastation. There are more subjective interpretations of different things.
Our instructor told us to mention how magical realism defies modernism and rationality. I added that explaining things in a structured, scientific manner had deteriorated and people were more likely to be amused after all that had happened. Which is why something extraordinary is accepted as ordinary in a realistic context. This ability to accept the strangeness of what would otherwise be surreal is what challenges rationality. Also, this makes us question Western ideals; the ideals we idolize and hence, the American Dream.
Did I come close to the explanation of political discourse or at least, discourse in magical realism?

JCamilo
12-12-2014, 05:10 PM
Magical realism is unrelated to USA. As visual arts is a spawn of surrealism. It does not defy modernism, it is part of modernism.

As literature the history is another. It is a latin-american product, an expression of LA identidy in confrotation with European imposition. Hence the vallue of social issues inside LA. The duality reality/magic ended representing the duality caused by the social rifft here. It was not about scientific discurse, it is even inspired by science fiction. The allegory was used to talk about issues when theere were militar dictadors around.

Start with Alejo Carpenteir.