Magic Realism in Wise Children by Angela Carter Essay -- Wise Children

Magic Realism in Wise Children by Angela CarterMagical realism is a primarily Latin American literary movement fromthe mid-sixties onwards, which integrates realistic portrayals of theordinary with elements of fantasy and myths. The result of this is arich but disturbing world that appears at once to be very dreamlike.The term magical realism was first used by German art critic, FranzRoh, who said it was a way of depicting the enigmas of reality andliterary critic Isabel Allende has said that in magic realism we findthe transformation of the common and the everyday into the awesome andthe shadowy. It is predominantly an art of surprises. Time exists in akind of fluidity and the unreal happens as part of reality. Once thereader accepts the fait accompli, the rest follows with logicalprecision.Many critics have associated Angela Carters style of writing withmagical realism, a term which refers to a writer portraying imaginaryor improbable elements in a realistic, ordinary way. The no velconforms to the device of magical realism through the use ofreferences and allusions to Shakespeare on that point are five chapters, justas there are always five acts in a Shakespearean comedy Dora and Noralive on adorn Road art imitates life when Ranulph plays Othello, latercatches his wife in bed with someone else and kills them and himselfalso, Tiffany is a reflection of Ophelia, driven mad by love, when shehas a sectionalisation on a live TV game show there are disguises, twins,mistaken identities and love problems, all key elements ofShakespearean comedy. This kind of intertextuality is a subtlemanifestation of magical realism. All the Shakespearean-stylevillainy, comic relief and intricate plot elemen... ...down to earth when Doramentions that a zookeeper came soon after with a net to retaking thebeautiful insects. This is a perfect example of magical realism.As mentioned before, magical realism has its dark and disturbing side,and this is apparent in Wise Children. Whe n Saskia, Doras enemy, is alittle girl, she is seen savagely devouring the carcass of a roastedswan. Later in life, Saskia becomes a TV cook and seems to takesadistic pleasure in disembodying animals.Magical realism is combined with carnivalesque literature in WiseChildren to create a flamboyant, theatrical world within a humble,earthy reality. Both genres plume each other in the novel, asboth involve fantasy-like events and nightmarish imagery, andelaborate, rational explanations are used by Carter to encouragereaders to suspend their disbelief, if only for a moment.