Magic Realism as a Narrative Strategy for Representing Hybrid Cultural Realities
Dr. Anu Singh
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Narottam Singh Padam Singh P.G. College, Magarhan, Mirzapur, U.P.
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In today's postcolonial and increasingly globalised world, magic realism has become a potent narrative tool for depicting the intricacies of mixed cultural realities. How magic realism depicts the lived realities of civilisations impacted by cultural intersection, historical upheaval, and identity negotiation is explored in this study. It does this by blending the ordinary with the exceptional. Magic realist stories, in contrast to those of pure fantasy, incorporate fantastical aspects into more grounded narratives, imagining parallel universes that do not compromise the rationality of our daily lives. Cultural hybridity, defined as the fusion and metamorphosis of distinct cultural identities as a result of migration, globalisation, and colonial interactions, is the theoretical framework that this study explores. By questioning prevailing Western epistemologies and upending linear narratives, magic realism provides an excellent literary vehicle for articulating this hybridity. Authors oppose cultural homogenisation and represent pluralistic worldviews through novels that incorporate indigenous belief systems, folklore, and myth into modern surroundings. This study examines magic realist literature in order to demonstrate how this literary movement gives voice to under-represented groups, challenges accepted truths, and delves into identity crisis. It proves that this way of telling stories improves artistic expression and gives a crucial foundation for comprehending the challenges and opportunities of hybrid cultural forms. The study concludes that modern literature mostly use magic realism to portray cultural identity as complex, multi-faceted, and frequently at odds with itself.
Keywords:
Realism; Magic; Narrative; Hybrid; Realities; Cultural
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