How are the qualities that make us Human' better presented by the use of Magical Realism'?.
In the creation of her novel, "The House of the Spirits-, author Isabel Allende uses a literary technique called magic realism'. Magic realism is the approach to a narrative in which fantasy occurs as commonplace within a fazade of reality. Selective magical details, as well as reappearing fantastical themes, weave themselves together with a realistic world to create a multitude of creative possibilities. Isabel Allende's understanding of the creative scope of magic realism is that of a true humanist, as she explains: .
"In Latin America, we value dreams, passions, obsessions, emotions, and all that which is very important to our lives has a place in literature - our sense of family, our sense of religion, of superstition too. That's magic realism - the emotions that everybody has, plus our reality-. .
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In this quote Isabelle Allende describes several main aspects of human existence that are enhanced by the use of magic realism. Many human characteristics are clearly evident in "The House of the Spirits-, and the use, or the lack of, magic realism, is important in highlighting each characteristic. .
Allende's first claim pertaining to the application of magical realism, is the bringing out of people's dreams. This we interpret as actual dreams, fantasy, and idealism. Within "The House of the Spirits-, these are important in the way the fantasies are used to emotional engage the reader. In other words, the magical realism is not really describing the events or characters, but attempting to invoke the fantasies of the reader, and of the author. It is this sharing of fantasies between the author and the reader is what makes this style so unique. .
The most prominent fantasy concerns Clara the Clairvoyant'. The natural ties between her and the world around her, clearly render her placid and confident when dealing with the turbulent concept of fate.
