Magical Realism in Literary Quest for Afro-American Identity

Abstract

This study makes a distinction between two types of magical realism—epistemological i.e. concerned with questions of knowledge and ontological i.e. concerned with questions of being and argues that the second type can be a powerful political strategy of dissent for all marginalized cultures. The book draws parallels between the masters of Latin American magical realism and famous contemporary Afro American writers: Toni Morrison, Paule Marshall, Gloria Naylor and Randall Kenan to illustrate how magical realist devices, such as subversion of Anglo-Saxon philosophical dogmas and canonical conventions leads to reinventing a cultural identity that is rooted in ancient African belief system rather than the American myth of success.