2024/01/01 by Karla Resende da Costa, Luisa Davi Oliveira de Mesquita · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Literature, Magical Realism, García Márquez #Latin American Literature Studies #Cuban History and Society
paper · doi:10.1590/s0102-8529.20244603e20220054
openalex publication_date 2024/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/26
Abstract The importance of works of science fiction to scholars of International Relations has already been established by discussions pertaining to its pedagogical value, its value as a study object and even its value as a constitutive aspect of world politics. In this article, we argue that it is equally important to give attention to works of magical realism in IR, especially because magical realism blurs the boundaries between literary and genre fiction, posing a constructive challenge to the different ways literature is either considered art or mere entertainment. By relaying the deep connection between magical realism and its birthplace, Latin America, we use One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez, and The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende, to illustrate how magical realist pieces can serve as reflections of Latin American sensibilities and therefore provide relevant insights for the scholar of IR.