Painting The Magic Realist-an Interdisciplinary Study On Angela Carter’s The Infernal Desire Machines Of Doctor Hoffman

Due to her idiosyncratic rewriting of fairy tales and fantasies, Angela Carter hasreceived wide range of academic attention and recognition, among which, however,the study upon her application and achievement in terms of magical realism iscomparatively insufficient. Meanwhile, The Infernal Desire Machines of DoctorHoffman (1972) is less studied upon than it deserves, especially in China where it isvirtually overlooked. Having invented a set of desire machines, Doctor Hoffman blursthe boundary between time and space, reality and fantasy, reason and desire, uponwhich the protagonist is dispatched to hunt for and assassinate him so as to restoreorders. This is a typical magical realist novel with a series of spectacular, eye-catchingpicturing visualized through the co-creation between the author and the reader, whichhas substantially contributed to both the artistic form and the literary theme, that is,the subversion of patriarchy, order and unfettered desire.This thesis has innovatively taken up an interdisciplinary approach, firstconfirmed the affinity of visual art with verbal art and then delimited the conceptionof magic realist painting through an introduction of its propositions, characteristics,development and representative forerunners. Based upon abundant exemplification, itfurther elucidates on the producing and effect of magic realist painting from theperspectives of painting techniques and subjects. The eventual purpose of this analysis,however, returns to literary criticism by pointing out the integration between thesubversive quality of magical realism itself and the theme of subversion in the novel,revealing Angela Carter’s postmodern feminist stance, metaphysical contemplationupon the carnivalesque and her dialectic attitude towards unfettered desires. None ofthese would have been as impressive and effective as they are without the magicrealist painting effect.