Figurative Language and Magical Realism in Latin American Short Stories Barbara L

Figurative Language and Magical Realism in Latin American Short Stories
Barbara L. Golden
Rogers CAPA Middle School

Contents of the Curriculum Unit:

Overview

Rationale

Objectives

Strategies

Classroom Activities

Bibliography

Appendix

Overview

The emphasis of Communication/Language Arts teachers and students is to develop

reading comprehension and writing skills. In this process, they join to achieve the true rationale for education, which is not only the acquisition of information, but also to deepen the wellspring of critical thinking. The latter has the most dramatic claim on life's choices and conditions.

This unit deals with magical realism in the Latin American short story. More specifically, it centers on the techniques, elements and artistry of language the authors use to tell these stories. The curriculum unit is meant to teach aspects of figurative language using Latin American literature as a basis, to develop a cursory understanding of magical realism, and to appreciate the works of Latin American authors. The objectives of this unit incorporate activities which foster critical thinking, cultural awareness of our close neighbors and recognition of magical realism.

When teaching a community of adolescent writers to trust their imagination and to impress upon them the processes involved in good writing, instruction could be enhanced by the introduction of an unfamiliar genre. Frequently, students respond with more enthusiasm when presented with fresh and novel subject matter. Further, the Latin American authors' stories using magical realism lend themselves to discovering the splendor of language through metaphor and polarizing descriptions. These stories have been translated into English and the beauty of language is preserved. The core element of this unit is to engage the student as a reader and writer in this new context of magical realism, and to encourage them to consider metaphor and other figurative language as an essential and effective tool in the craft of writing.

Rationale

Because this unit serves an advanced eighth grade English class (PSP) reading comprehension skills of these students must be above average. They have demonstrated a facility with the writing process, and are generally recognized for their academic prowess. These students have a background in analyzing short stories and novels. Generally, they are avid readers and comply with the 25 books per year requirement in the middle school.

While the eighth grade PSP curriculum includes six novels, it is bereft of any Latin American authors. This PSP unit of study has not been revised since its conception in the early eighties. Portfolio entries for this group include responses to both fiction and works of non-fiction. Other entries are the persuasive essay and the research paper, plus an oral presentation. In most categories, except the short story and research report, the student has more than one completed assignment per entry. When working on his or her final portfolio, the student can make choices to submit as entry items. There is also a free choice entry.

Besides reading and analyzing the novels, one of the most demanding and challenging entries for the eighth grader's portfolio is the creation of a short story. Many of the students select the genres of fantasy or realistic fiction for their stories. Many of the fantasy-based stories tend to include knights and magic or characters that are not human but have magical powers, particularly the ability to morph into something else. The realistic fiction pieces appear dominated by dire events that evoke guilt or dark consequences. These plot structures seem appealing to these adolescent writers. Consequently, it seems propitious to introduce short stories by Latin American authors, who are masters of the magical realism mode.

In the late 1920s, a German art critic, Franz Roh, coined the term "magical realism" for painters trying to show reality in a new way. A Venezuelan literary critic, Arturo Uslar Pietri, first associated it with Latin American literature. However, it only attained popular usage when Miguel Angel Asturias used it to describe his own novels when he won the Nobel Prize. Magical realism has been popularized by Latin American authors as a literary form, and it has come to be global phenomenon in world literature.

The concept of magical realism is complex. It has been variously defined by many scholars and critics in sometimes contradictory ways (see Leal versus Flores, Zamora, pp.109-125). Although Leal acknowledges that Flores' work was the only study of magical realism up until that time, he disputes Flores' definition of magical realism because Flores includes authors who Leal believes do not belong in the movement. Leal defines magical realism as "more than anything else, an attitude toward reality that can be expressed in popular or cultured forms, in elaborate or rustic styles, in closed or open structures. The magical realist …doesn't create imaginary worlds in which we can hide from everyday reality." (Zamora p.121) Leal argues that magical realism does not come from Kafka's work as Flores maintains. " The Metamorphosis" is more fantastic than magical and Leal wants that difference noted. For the purposes of this unit, it is important to place value on the more accessible of these definitions.

In magical realism the writer confronts reality and tries to untangle it, to discover what is mysterious in things, in life, in human acts. The principal thing is not the creation of imaginary beings or worlds but the discovery of the mysterious relationship between man and his circumstances. The magical realist does not try to copy the surrounding reality (as the realists did) or to wound it (as the surrealists did) but to seize the mystery that breathes behind things. ( Zamora, p. 121-123). This approach infuses the works of the magical realists with a sense of mystery and wonder that adolescents should find appealing.

There are components of stories written in the mode of magical realism that are at the basis of this unit. One interesting feature of these stories is that they challenge our traditional notion of time as a linear process. For magical realists, time can move in a circular pattern or even fold in on itself so that earlier events collide with later ones. Another characteristic of these writers is the use of polar opposites. Couplings like fever chill and monstrously tranquil provoke and expand our use of language.

Percy Bysshe Shelley would likely have considered authors employing magical realism as poets. The language of poets is "vitally metaphorical: it marks the before unapprehended relations of things and perpetuates their apprehension." ( Baker, p.496) The poet and magical realist have the appropriation of language in common. Both unleash the full force of its exquisite beauty and power on the alert reader. The element that this unit highlights is metaphorical language.

Students are taught about similes and metaphors in elementary school with reinforcement in middle and high schools. Examples of these literary terms appear on tests including state proficiency exams. Students do homework composing sentences including these language devices. The student infrequently appears to use this repetitive instruction in his or her writing unless under duress of specific instructions; e.g., "the writing sample must include three metaphors." This is not unusual in a writing class. It appears the instruction around these language elements is not terribly successful. Poetry is a prime area where figurative language proliferates. It is very useful in illustrating examples of metaphor and simile. Using the literature of the Latin American authors may be an alternative to the cut and paste methodology, which does not seem to be internalized enough to allow students to use these language tools in their written or oral communication.

The point of magical realism may not be plot or character but getting the reader to think in another way about things. The aspects of this writing reside in its metaphors and make it unique. The author looks to bridge the duality of concepts, like life and death and succeeds by writing metaphorically. Completely new ideas require metaphor for their expression. The philosophical underpinnings of this unit revolve around the importance of metaphorical writing and thinking. Metaphor in this sense is not a mere literary technique but the essence of expression for new concepts. Metaphorical language both describes something new and special and influences the way the mind apprehends reality. It not only introduces the idea to the mind; it shifts the way the mind perceives reality. New types of metaphor like those used in magical realism both extend the writer's ability to describe reality and expands the reader's capacity to understand reality in general - not just the specific reality described by a single metaphor.

Latin American authors who subscribe to magical realism will prove arresting and interesting to the eighth grade scholars. This unit could easily fit into the ninth or tenth grade curriculum as well. It is likely to provoke Socratic discussion, and hopefully serious consideration about a genre that most students are unaware. At the very least, exposure to this particular mode of writing may elicit strong sentiments for or against its style. Edgar Allen Poe, who most students are familiar, may fit under the label of a magical realist. Other U.S. writers include Toni Morrison, E.L. Doctorov, and Ursula Le Guin.

On a personal note:

Although having grown up in Pittsburgh and beginning my higher education at Duquesne University, I finished my undergraduate degree and teaching credential in Los Angeles and Northridge, California respectively. After spending a career in the corporate world, I decided to pursue a lifelong desire to become a teacher. I have taught in Los Angeles Unified School District in high schools and adult night programs in East Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. The curriculum was multicultural and included Latin American authors and did not emphasize magical realism. Most of the classes I taught were ESL 1, 2, 3, and 4 and curriculum was fashioned appropriately by the foreign language department. I also was a member of the English department and those classes had a solid complement of Latino literature. The student population in these schools is largely Latino and therefore is part of an extremely rich culture. One of the required classes for the California Clear Credential is "Education In America" and it was in this class that Gabriel Garcia Marquez became required reading. This was my first brush with magical realism.

Pittsburgh seems to be an anomaly in that for a city of its size it does not have an appreciable Latino population; therefore, exposure to Latino culture is minimal. Including Latino authors in the eighth grade PSP curriculum can serve our students in a myriad of ways, not least of which is presenting to them literature that is rich with the cultural voice of Latin Americans.

Objectives

This unit's objectives center on the writing process and reading comprehension. While reading the short stories and participating in activities, the students should experience the value of metaphor and increased vocabulary skills. The exposure to Latin American authors should evoke some cultural awareness. These authors' mastery of the magical realism genre is another asset where the students knowledge base is broadened. Significantly, the study of these stories and the focus on language and genre will assist the students in the ambitious task of writing their own narrative account, which is the final tangible product.

This unit notably supports communication content standards. It is committed to reading and using a variety of methods to make sense of complex texts, as well as writing for purposes including narration. Oral presentations are also included and meet communication standards. An exchange of information is necessary for interpretation and promotion of effective group communication is intrinsic to the unit's success.

One drawback to achieving these objectives is the availability of works by Latin American authors. The middle school library is small and staffed accordingly. In order to access the works that are cited in this unit it might be necessary to use the public, high school, and or university libraries. Another alternative is to seek private investment in obtaining the anthologies containing the authors' stories.

Strategies

The strategies involved in this unit are reading and analyzing the short stories. One story will be read by the entire class. The instructor will model the technique of "Questioning the Author". This is a reading format designed at the University of Pittsburgh and taught to City of Pittsburgh Communications teachers by university staff members. It is a program whose aim is to develop a deeper level of reading comprehension among students in K through 12 instruction. This approach fosters discussion, attempts to connect the reader to the text in an experiential fashion, and offers the student a method of self-discovery in ascertaining the textual meanings of the story. It requires more preparation time by the instructor and practice in the classroom, but the rewards are apparent in terms of student participation and depth in understanding of the reading material.

As a group, initially the class will use the short story project packet in delineating characters, point of view, and theme crisis/problem. In the past, this has been used as a brainstorming packet for the student prior to the actual writing of their short story. In this instance, it can be used as a process in reverse to note the elements of the stories being read. This is to facilitate using the packet for writing their individual stories. When the class as a unit reads the first short the vocabulary and whole class reading response logs will be completed by the instructor or assigned to students but will be visible to the class. Emphasis should be placed on the use of metaphor by the author and its impact in the story. Highlighting metaphorical language should be a central element to any activities.

Following and more likely during the whole class participation in reading one story together the idea of magical realism is to be reckoned with. The instructor uses queries to elicit from the students their observations about the story and its style. A Venn diagram may be used to compare and contrast this story with another story, one written in realistic fiction or fantasy genre, read earlier by the class. The intent is to elicit critical thinking and coach the students to arrive at most of the components of magical realism independently. Contributions may show magical realism dealing with the "real world" where the subject matter is viewed in an unexpected light. These stories contain realistic characters, a hazy morality, and personal and interpersonal conflicts. The term, magical realism, is introduced during this discussion.

Literary circles of students, four to a group, are assigned different short stories to read. They have the task of reading their stories and following the pattern of the large group by keeping a vocabulary log, and a reading response log, which includes metaphors, noted from the short story. The students have the opportunity to identify these elements on their own and to make interpretations. In this process individual roles are selected by the groups i.e. leader, facilitator, scribe and timekeeper. Then the group decides the process whereby they will accomplish the tasks involved in the assignment. This strategy has been in place in this classroom when group work is assigned and the students appear comfortable. Group members are not always the same, nor are the roles static. The instructor needs to be interviewing students while group work is being conducted. This means the teacher is active within the classroom checking in with students and responding positively and briefly to their efforts.

The strategic planning underlying the class activities is intended to present to the student works by Latin American authors where the student can not only engage with the stories but also make presentations in line with the communications standards. Ultimately, the students will have gained an awareness of a unique literary mode- magic realism, and compose a short story utilizing metaphorical language and vivid descriptions.

Classroom Activities

This eighth grade PSP communications class meets daily for forty-five minutes. On Tuesday, the majority of the class goes to a scholar's program for enrichment at another middle school. Because only one third of the class is present on Tuesdays, special activities, including portfolio items are planned for this day only. This curriculum unit is meant for the entire class. The Tuesday morning group could read another of the stories or become involved in extension activities.

The initial activity is a quick write where the students, after listening to a sound track of various weather conditions like hail, rain, hurricane winds, and gales describe in writing what they hear. An easier task would be to give students choices from a list of words including humid, below zero, blizzard, sunny and ask them to write a descriptive paragraph about two or three of these weather related words. The students are given the opportunity to share their ideas. The main classroom activity is reading the short story, "Monologue of Isabel Watching It Rain in Macondo" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. All activities and assignments would have appropriate rubrics attached to them.

Vocabulary from the short story that may need clarification should be noted on an easel or word wall with definitions. Some of these words are: reverberation, luminous, tedious, promontory, imperturbable, inviolable, prodigy, parapet, disarray, repugnant, viscous, lugubrious, providential, impelled, dynamism, disconcerted, prostrated, resignation, adipose, and tranquil. These should be at the students' disposal. A blank short story framework should be set up and filled in as the story is read. For example, the main character is Isabel and supporting characters are her father, stepmother, and her husband, Martin. The point of view is first person, Isabel. The problem is the rain that brings on a crisis, as it is too much for the environment as well as Isabel. The rain is an ordinary happening, but it is Isabel's experience and the author's description of it in her "monologue" that is so compelling. The story is read with the questioning the author technique by the instructor. The teacher asks questions at predetermined intervals during the story. What's the author telling us? What's the author describing for us now? What's going on here? The idea is to get students to think critically about what they're reading and to understand the text. This also keys the student to noteworthy happenings within the text.

It is instructive to look at the magical realism aspects of the short story as a group.

This story opens with an italicized sentence, "Winter fell one Sunday when people were coming out of church." It closes with this sentence in Italics; "It wouldn't surprise me now if they were coming to call me to go to last Sunday's Mass." This is an appropriate example of the cyclical rather than linear view of time in the magical realism style of writing. The magic of the text seems to grow gradually out of the real bringing together the banal (rainy weather) with the almost supernatural (Isabel's musings). It melds the possible and the impossible, and as with language - the literal and the metaphorical. The cow in the story is a sign or omen and seems connected to Isabel's identity, which reorients itself throughout the story. The images of Marquez and other magical realist authors are powerful in their beauty. Magical realists do not write of grand passions but the ordinary becoming the extraordinary, the literal elevated via the figurative.

It is most pertinent to the aims of this unit to use the students' attention to the figurative language which is pervasive in Marquez' writing. Figures of speech include personification, simile, and metaphor. The students may be asked to underline words or passages that they find interesting or particularly descriptive as the whole class reads the story. An alternative is to have the students reread the story silently and note those phrases at this time. Examples of magnificent figurative language from this short story are: "…the water tightened and hurt, like a shroud over the heart…..eyes lost in the labyrinth of the rain…. earth spins on its rusty unoiled axis……cow looked like a clay promontory in its hard and rebellious immobility…..earth substance like cheap soap…..jasmine bush faithful to the memory of my mother…….rain grew like an immense tree over the other trees……I felt changed into a desolate meadow sown with algae and lichens…….covered by a thick surface of viscous, dead water…….a voice that tasted of prostrated resignation……monstrously tranquil……I felt my heart turn into a frozen stone…….monumental body like a ripe fruit.

The students return to their quickwrites and revise them to include imagery and figurative language. These short pieces are shared with the class. Discussion should follow regarding the difference between the first and the second drafts of the students' quickwrites. Discussion questions pursuing the importance of this difference and its impact on the reader should be boarded. The students are arranged in small literary circles and assigned short stories from the following partial list: "Strange Things Happen Here" by Luisa Valenzuela, "Axolotl", "House Taken Over", Blow-Up", by Julio Cortazar, "The Tree" by Maria Luisa Bombal, "The Poisoned Tale" by Rosario Ferre, "Blame the Tlaxcaltecs" by Elena Garro. More than one group can work with the same short story. The groups complete the short story framework sheet, and include in their reading log examples of the figurative language from the prose, and vocabulary.

The group also has the task of researching their authors to obtain biographical information, as well as cite the elements of magical realism in their author's work. The student is also required to explore some aspects of the author's country of origin. This investigation includes cultural data. After completing these tasks, each group makes a presentation. This includes an oral presentation from the research on their author. The groups not presenting are expected to take notes. Next, the group presents a tableau, where each student participates as a character or narrator of the short story. This demonstrates the groups understanding of the characters as well as their perception of the events in the story. Polaroid pictures of each tableau are to be used for display of the students work at the end of this project.

The groups present a Quaker reading of the stories in front of the class. This process entails the students choosing phrases or passages that sparks their interest, and voicing them in a random fashion. This is an opportunity to hear the metaphorical images of the prose in a poetic mode. This exercise should be tape recorded to be played later during the reflective phase of the lesson. The lesson closes with a reflective commentary by the students where they evaluate the processes and material contained in the lesson. This is valuable feedback to upgrade this lesson for future use.

This exercise is a prelude to the students writing their own narrative account for their portfolio. The study of the Latin American magical realists authors is a means to familiarize the students with a dynamic genre, and to assist them with valuing and creating vivid language for their own writing.

Extension activities abound for this unit. This is a performing arts middle school, and the students in this communication class have been involved in other units where their art form was an integral feature in reaching communication goals. These students are dance, visual arts, multimedia, stagecraft, drama, vocal, costume, or instrumental majors. All are also enrolled in a beginning Spanish class. Assignments across the curriculum to include other academic and arts standards are recommended and encouraged in this classroom. This is a unique opportunity to bring more facets of the students' interests and skills to connect with their education. These students generally have a confidence about their art form. When their art is partnered with academic study, there is a tendency for the student to become more successful in both areas. This is also an opportunity to extend the communications portfolio across the academic and arts curriculum. Ideally, a "humanitas" approach could be utilized in teaming with other instructors to integrate the literature, art, science, and history pertinent to the society of these Latin American authors. Staff collegiality can also be enhanced.

This unit also lends itself to an introduction to literary criticism. Although criticism texts are not in abundance for Latin American authors, there are some solid resources in this area. Students would benefit from research into these works and their associated literature. Students clearly have opinions regarding what they read. At this age their literary acumen is developing rather quickly, but their ability to express it needs cultivating. A review or report on literary criticism would add to their sophistication as readers and writers.

Another medium that could illuminate this particular unit is film. The class could read “Miracle in Rome” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez as well as watch the film version of the story. Prior to the film the students could visualize a scene from the story and write a short screenplay. Afterwards a compare and contrast activity would be effective to highlight the power of imagery. Another film for consideration is “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings”. This video is part of the Gabriel Garcia Marquez Collection.

Bibliography for Teachers

Baker, Carlos, ed. Selected Poetry and Prose of Shelley. New York: Random House, 1951.

A paperback that holds the work of one of the best from the Romantic Age.

Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Latin American Fiction. New York, Philadelpia: Chelsea House, 1990.

The editor's note describes this book best. "This book gathers together a representative selection of the best criticism available in English upon the principal authors of modern Latin American fiction. The four most eminent figures are Borges, Carpentier, Cortazar, and Garcia Marquez."

Correas de Zapata, Celia, ed. Short Stories By Latin American Women: The Magic And The Real. Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1990.

Isabel Allende wrote the Foreword and this very short note is enthralling. The editor pronounces that "Each one (author) emerges from a cultural matrix that conditions their work. Their lands and their history appear in stories by Argentines, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans. This is a raising of consciousness enterprise and is welcomed.

Cortazar, Julio. Blow - Up and Other Stories. Trans. Paul Blackburn. New York: Pantheon, 1967.

This short story anthology contains fifteen of Cotazar's stories including the title story "Blow-Up", "Axoltl", "House Taken Over", "End of the Game" and "Secret Weapons". These are memorable for their superior craftsmanship and magical realism.

Foster, Virginia, David Foster. Modern Latin American Literature. 2 vols. New York: Ungar, 1975.

There are 137 Latin American authors showcased in these two volumes of literary criticism. Although somewhat dated there are remarkable commentaries and these volumes are an acknowledgement of Latin American authors.

Fuentes, Carlos. Aura. Trans. Lysander Kemp. (Bilingual Edition), New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000.

A novella in the genre of magical realism Aura has an adult theme and may work in a high school class, but not for the middle school student.

Fuentes, Carlos. Constancia and Other Stories for Virgins. Trans. Thomas Christensen. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990.

This is the second selection of Carlos Fuentes stories to appear in English. Some are adult level reading such as the title story. These stories similar to Aura are novella length.

Fuentes, Carlos. The Orange Tree. Trans. Alfred Mac Adam. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994.

These stories share the social significance of past and present history through their writing. The stories give Fuentes' take on Columbus's arrival in the Caribbean, the fate of Hernan Cortes's two sons and other events. His imaginative storytelling and use of language is definitely worth reading.

Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. Collected Stories. Trans. Gregory Rabassa and J. S. Bernstein. New York: Perennial Classics, 1984.

There are twenty-six stories in this paperback including "Monologue of Isabel Watching It Rain In Macondo" and "Big Mama's Funeral". This is a wonderful addition to a school or personal library.

Ibieta, Gabriella, ed. Latin American Writers. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1993.

This anthology introduces students and general readers to the contemporary Latin American short story. Popular and less familiar works are included by the editor due to their cultural significance.

Kafka, Franz, The Penal Colony. Trans.Willa and Edwin Muir. New York: Schocken, 1968.

This is a collection of short stories including " The Metamorphosis" and short pieces of writing.

Kinneavy, James L. Elements of Writing Revised Edition, Second Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1998.

This is a popular, standard writing text for the middle school student. It includes information about short stories and story evaluation.

Martin, Gerald. Journeys Through the Labyrinth of Latin American Fiction in the Twentieth Century. London, New York: Verso, 1989.

This work is an interpretive look at Latin American literature. This book is an entrée into the understanding and literary criticism of Latin American authors.

McKeown, Margaret C., et al. "Questioning the Author" Accessibles. Bothell: Wright Group McGraw-Hill, 1999.

This is support material for implementation of this program when reading as a whole group in a classroom. The basis of the program is easy to understand, but putting it into practice is challenging, and this is a useful text for some guidance and reference.

McMurray, George R. Critical Essays on Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1987.

Different literary critics review Marquez' novels and short stories. In these essays he is viewed rightly as one of the most important contemporary Latin American writers and responsible for the attention that Latin American literature has finally received. The use of "fantastic" and "realistic" are assigned his works.

Williams, Raymond L. Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Boston: Twayne, 1984.

This book provides a brief biographical introduction and an overview of Marquez' writing career to date with analyses of his writings.

Zamora, Lois Parkinson, Wendy B. Faris, ed. Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Durham, London: Duke University Press, 1995.

This book is a compilation of essays about magical realism that is indispensible when studying this genre. Note internet site listed below.

Bibliography for Students