Realism, Magical Realism, and the Latin American Boom
1. Realism
Realism is an artistic movement that emerged in Europe between 1850 and 1860 as a reaction against Romantic subjectivism. Seeking truth, the everyday, and the credible reality, it aimed to portray the day-to-day. One of its greatest exponents was Honoré de Balzac.
Characteristics of Realism
- An attempt to describe the new society born from the Industrial and French Revolutions.
- Protagonists from the middle and upper classes, whose traits (kindness, usury, selfishness, generosity, malice, ambition, sadness, etc.) the author often satirizes.
- Primarily expressed through the novel.
- A belief that art should reflect reality believably, showing man in society.
- A strong belief in progress through science.
2. Characters and Setting in Realism
The relationship between characters and setting in realist literature often reflects their mutual deterioration. The boarding house, representing Parisian society, categorizes characters based on their economic status. Characters strive to maintain a certain status, evident in their interactions within the boarding house. Despite pretensions of prestige, the pension caters to all, regardless of social standing or sexuality. Located in a dilapidated building in one of Paris’s worst neighborhoods, the setting mirrors the characters’ decay. The boarding house’s owner, Madame Vauquer, and its inhabitants are described in unflattering terms, reflecting their physical and internal decline. The living environment impacts their development as human beings, with economic position influencing social status, ideology, and behavior. The narrative highlights the struggle for social advancement, even at the cost of personal ruin.
3. The Latin American Boom
The Latin American Boom refers to a period of Latin American literature published from the mid-20th century onwards, gaining widespread recognition in Europe. Novels of this movement are distinguished by technical innovations in Latin American literature. Key authors include Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Julio Cortázar.
4. Magical Realism
Magical realism portrays reality transformed into a magical world without losing its essence, highlighting the incongruity within it. Originating in Germany and Austria in the 1920s, it was later adopted by Latin American authors. Key characteristics (not all necessarily present in every novel) include:
- Magical elements and fictitious characters presented as normal.
- Incorporation of Latin American myths and legends (e.g., One Hundred Years of Solitude).
- Multiple narrators (first, second, and third person).
- Cyclical, rather than linear, time.
- Distortion of time through repetition or resemblance to the past.
- Transformation of ordinary experiences into supernatural or fantastic ones.
- Exploration of death, with characters dying and returning to life.
- Blending of the real and the unreal, often with ambiguous or unexpected endings.
- Settings in impoverished and marginalized areas of Latin America, where the magical and mythical are intertwined with real life.
5. Symbolism in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
The albatross symbolizes the poet, the Mariners symbolize society, and the bitter depths of the world symbolize uncertainty and aimlessness.
6. The Poet and Society
The poet expresses rejection of bourgeois society and its values. The albatross represents the poet soaring above the human world, feeling safe in his poetic realm. The sailors symbolize society, mocking the albatross when it lands on deck. The poet feels misunderstood and subjected to human cruelty. The world, like a ship adrift, is depicted as directionless and driven by routine, ambition, and boredom, reflecting the Industrial Revolution’s impact. The poem highlights the conflict between the poet and bourgeois society, his feelings of alienation and the need to survive within it.