MAGIC REALISM, AMPLIFICATION OF THE VOICE OF THE OPPRESSED AND MARGINAL GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE ISABEL ALLENDE: THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS

Abstract

The current thesis focuses on how magic realist fiction amplifies the voice of the oppressed and marginal. To do so, two magic realist novels, one Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende were chosen. After analyzing the nature of magic realism as an innovatıve mode of literary expression, the study discusses the amplification of the voice colonized working class and women in these two Latin American novels. We understand from the study that these writers, by using magic realism try to uncover the hidden dynamic of oppression under the capitalism, colonial and patrıarchal system. According to the study we understand that two writers have different worldviews emphasizing on oppression. Marquez as the leading writer of the mode accentuates on oppression of the colonized and working classes ignoring the oppressed and marginal women. Consequently, Isabel Allende as the representative of new generation of magic realist novelists realizes the need for amplification of the voice of the oppressed women. Protesting to Marquez man-centered novel, Allende creates a feminocentric novel in which the central characters are women who have been silenced in the history of Latin America. She protests to the model writer for ignoring significant part of the society. With her woman centered novel, Allende emphasizes on potentiality of magic realism as an appropriate mode of literary expression for diverse oppressed and marginal groups. These two novels having many features in common focus on different silenced voices. By replacing masculine narrative of Marquez by her feminine narrative, Allende tries to deconstruct the patriarchal narrative that prevails magic realism mode in general. The concluding note about the study is that, international recognition, success and popularity of the mode in amplification of the voice of the oppressed and marginal, can be a model for other minorities and oppressed groups in different cultural and geographical communities. They may apply new literary mode of literary expression in accordance to their cultural, ethnic and geographical features. The focal point here is that, always there can be fresh ways of expression rather than the dominating one. Magic realism seems to prove the point.