| Magic Realism in the context of literature tends to be considered peculiar to Latin America, but that perception is changing. Much more frequently now, magic realism is discussed both as a tendency within postmodern literature, as Well as a mode unfettered by geographical boundaries. While it is sometimes difficult to define---there are conflicting discussions which identify magic realism with genres ranging from surrealism to science fiction---magic realism is emerging as a compelling mode of contemporary literature, one which allows for the timeless complexities of the human condition, as well as current changing global perceptions.;Using indepth textual analysis of novels, nonfiction and, in one case, a personal interview, this project examines three distinct writers of the twentieth century. I selected an English woman, Virginia Woolf, known for her feminism as well as her writing; Salman Rushdie, a British, Indian-born Muslim novelist, and Tom Robbins, an American novelist, known primarily as a subculture writer in the United States. With the work of these three writers, this project examines the history and collective definitions of magic realism, contributes to growing assertions that magic realism in literature is not confined to either a geographical region or a specific culture, and demonstrates magic realism's presence in literature as viable and necessary. |
