Magical Realism is a sub-genre of realism in fiction writing. Within a work of magical realism, the world itself is still grounded in reality but fantastical elements exist within this world. For instance, in Ugly Lies the Bone, Jess and the other characters are grounded in reality. However, Jess (and later, Kacie) experiences this virtual reality--taking on this other world that is covered in snow. She must conquer that world in order to conquer her own.
The term magical realism ("magischer realismus") was first used in 1925 by German art critic Franz Roh in his book Nach Expressionismus: Magischer Realismus (After Expressionism: Magical Realism). He used this term to emphasize how magical, fantastic, and strange normal objects can appear in the real world when you stop and look at them. In Ugly Lies the Bone, Jess is hit with a reality that is both familiar and foreign to her. Everything seems to have a new meaning or connotation: snow, stars, scratch-off tickets, convenience stores, shuttle launches, dream boards, a walker, goggles, trees, skies, a christmas tree, reflections, music, pictures. Traveling between reality and this Snow World that was created for her physical therapy shows us how Jess is trying to make sense of things as they are now, looking at all of these things from a new perspective.
Literary critic Angel Flores coined the term “magical realism” (in English, as opposed to “magic realism”) in 1955 in an essay of his. Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges was named the first magical realist, based on his collection of short stories Historia Universal de la Infamia (A Universal History of Infamy). Latin American authors made magical realism what it is today; however, authors had previously written stories about mundane situations with fantastical elements before magical realism was a recognized literary genre. For example, Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, published in 1915, dealt with themes within the magical realism genre.
Elements of Magical Realism:
Realistic Setting--takes place in a setting in this world that is familiar (Titusville, Florida)
Magical Elements--fantastical elements that do not occur in our world but are presented as normal within the text, such as nonhuman characters (the Voice), timelessness, unusual time shifts, moments where the unreal becomes real (Jess is able to move in Snow World and eventually in the real world), and sometimes feels dream-like (Snow World).
Limited Information--Magical realism authors deliberately leave the magic in their stories unexplained in order to normalize it as much as possible and reinforce that it is part of everyday life (transitioning from reality to Snow World)
Critique--using magical realism as a way to offer an implicit critique of society (treatment of our veterans, ptsd, trauma).
Unique Plot Structure--magical realism does not follow a typical narrative arc with a clear beginning, middle, and end (there are no acts, scenes, or intermission within Ugly Lies the Bone. We move between the real world and that of virtual reality).
Examples of Magical Realism in theatre: Angels in America (Tony Kushner), Marisol (José Rivera), Emilie: La Marquise Du Chatlet Defends Her Life Tonight (Lauren Gunderson), and The Clean House (Sarah Ruhl).
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