Magic realism in Chicana literature studied
Magic realism is a literary tool and it uses the supernatural along with reality and is being studied at Utah State University.
Carey Emmons, a graduate student in American literature studies, first became interested in magic realism when she read Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. In the book passion, feelings and emotion are described and transmitted through food. Emmons said she quickly became fascinated with the combination of fantasy and dreams in the book and others like it.
Books with magic realism commonly have people coming back from the dead, riding flying carpets, transmitting emotion in different ways and, as shown above, receiving passion from food as easily as catching a food-borne illness from under-cooked meat and a variety of other supernatural events.
English professor Andrea Tinnemeyer, Emmons’ adviser, said, “There is no checklist to determine that a work is or is not magic realism.”
The online encyclopedia at www.britannica.com defines magic realism as “Latin-American literary phenomenon characterized by the matter-of-fact incorporation of fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction.”
In the novel, Tita, a young woman growing up in Mexico, is not allowed to marry the man she loves and who loves her. He marries Tita’s sister in order to still be close to her. Tita cooks and serves the family food that transmits her passion or anger. In one scene Pedro brings Tita a flower, which she later uses in a dish she cooks for the family. Her passion for Pedro is transmitted to all members of the family.
As Emmons’ interest in magic realism grew, her focus narrowed to the use of magic realism in books written by Latin American women, highlighting Esquivel. In the last three years Emmons said she has probably read more than 100 books and at one time was ordering at least three books a week through inter-library loan. Emmons even attempted to get in contact with Esquivel but never got past her publicist.
“You just have to read everything so you can pick what it is you think and want to say, compared to what others are saying about the subject and make sure you’re not repeating anyone,” Emmons said.
Emmons believes the use of magic realism has allowed Chicana women to create a new voice for themselves in their literature. Magic realism allows the Latin American female authors to “revise history” by giving the women in the novels more power than they have now, Emmons said.
“So many Chicana women want equal rights and autonomy but are stuck in a paradigm of saint or whore,” Emmons said. “They are very stuck in their roles of a patriarch society so in ways they fight to preserve that structure , but write in ways to get out.”
Emmons had the opportunity in February to spend a week in Mexico and gain a greater understanding of the society Chicana authors are trying to revise through magic realism. Emmons, a tall blonde found herself uncomfortable as she stayed with a Mexican family and the woman of the house cooked for the guests and waited on them.
“It’s so interesting to see it in play outside of the books,” Emmons said. “I’m this woman from the United States who feels liberated and comes from a more feminist society so it was like stepping back into another century.”
Tinnemeyer agrees that Emmons’ experiences in Mexico will benefit her research.
“Having a panoramic view of Mexican literature and culture on both sides of the border will enable her to contextualize the novels of Laura Esquivel in a responsible and thoughtful manner,” Tinnemeyer said.
Emmons said, “I’ve learned how important history is. You can’t study anything outside of history. You have to know the background.”
Emmons will present and defend her at-least-60-page master’s thesis on May 17, which just happens to be her birthday. A committee of three professors will analyze and question her about her work.
“Carey’s investigation of the national and gendered aspects of magic realism in the novels of Laura Esquivel will do much to reframe the genre [of magic realism],” Tinnemeyer said.