In this paper I focus on two considerable U.S. authors: Toni Morrison and Ana Castillo. The fact that these writers - who do not share the same ethnic background - both deploy the literary mode of magical realism in their works has engaged my interest to analyze and compare their novels Beloved and So Far from God. The purpose of this paper is not only to probe into the nature of magical realism in the two novels, but also to examine this narrative form as a socio-cultural practice which is connected to a special Weltanschauung. To enter this vast territory, it will be useful to situate the term magical realism in a theoretical and cultural framework which happens in the following chapter. Subsequently, I will expose how Morrison and Castillo employ magical realism in Beloved and So Far from God, and, in particular, I try to identify its function and the role it plays in terms of Morrison′s and Castillo′s cultural and historical background. In the conclusion I will expose the parallels which can be drawn between the novels, coming up with the thesis that for these parallels, there are two underlying main functions of magical realism.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Magical Realism
- Toni Morrison's Beloved
- Ana Castillo's So Far from God
- Conclusion
- List of Works Cited
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the use of magical realism in Toni Morrison's *Beloved* and Ana Castillo's *So Far from God*, analyzing this narrative form as a socio-cultural practice connected to a specific worldview. The paper explores the function and role of magical realism in the context of Morrison's and Castillo's cultural and historical backgrounds, identifying parallels between the novels.
- The nature of magical realism as a literary mode and its connection to worldview
- The deployment of magical realism in *Beloved* and *So Far from God*
- The function and role of magical realism in relation to cultural and historical background
- Parallels between the novels and their underlying functions of magical realism
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction sets the stage for the analysis by introducing the two authors, their shared use of magical realism, and the paper's objectives. The second chapter defines magical realism, exploring its historical development, theoretical framework, and its connection to indigenous and black worldviews. This chapter delves into the emergence of magical realism in Latin American literature, focusing on the work of Alejo Carpentier and his concept of *lo real maravilloso*. The third chapter analyzes the use of magical realism in *Beloved* and *So Far from God*, exploring how Morrison and Castillo employ this narrative form to address experiences and perspectives often marginalized by dominant narratives.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Magical realism, Toni Morrison, Ana Castillo, *Beloved*, *So Far from God*, African Diaspora, postcolonialism, cultural resistance, worldview, *lo real maravilloso*, social construction, Blackness, emancipation, revisionary memory, dominant narratives, marginalized experiences.
- Quote paper
- Jasmina Murad (Author), 2006, Magical Realism in Toni Morrison's Beloved and Ana Castillo's So Far from God, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/61300
