Magic Realism as Postcolonial Aesthetics in African and Afrodiasporic Literatures

Magical Realism in Louise Erdrich’s “Fleur”

“…In "Fleur", the combination of orality tradition and homodiegetic narration helps to maximize the magical effect of the story, breaking down the distinction between magic and reality. As Ngom acknowledges, "postcolonial orality and literature, relying on memory, are used to produce a history that acknowledges the existence and vitality of the pre-colonial civilization of these communities" (Ngom, 2020). Erdrich incorporates the oral tradition in the first part of "Fleur".…”

"In her prophetic fury sewed the work": Remembering Sybil's Handkerchief and Magical Artistries in Djanet Sears' Harlem Duet

“…Once again, Billie's magical role as the "catalyzer of memory" is the only connection between the past and the future. 39 In the conclusion, Billie continues this prophetic role when she reaches out to Amah, Jenny's mother, and repetitively murmurs, "I had a dream." 40 This statement dissonantly intertwines with Sears' performative use of the audio of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech during the Civil Rights March on Washington.…”

“…In his article "Magic Realism as Postcolonial Aesthetics in African and Africdiasporic Literatures," Ousmane Ngom defines magic realism as a literary practice for Africdiasporic literatures to infuse magic with the modern world and to infuse oppressive pasts with new futurities; to accomplish this, Ngom argues that there is a "magic character" in these literatures who play "an important role as a trigger and catalyzer of memory." 20 In Harlem Duet, Billie is this "magic character" who plays both the trigger and translator for the past, and the handkerchief is the vessel for which she relays these traumatic reoccurrences and prophetic visions. This reliving of intergenerational trauma is harmful for Billie, but it also allows her to have a better understanding of her present state.…”

“…Once again, Billie is channeling her past maternal ancestors by embodying this "magic character" with the ability to see and tangibly be in the past and present. 27 Like the handkerchief, Billie is a magical being who acts as the vessel to hold, safekeep, and carry the horrors and hopes of the past. As the "catalyzer" of memory, 28 Billie is as resilient and powerful as the handkerchief itself.…”

“…As Davis states in her work Blues Legacies and Black Feminism, "Holiday hardly forged this tradition -indeed, its roots lie in the early days of slavery -but she most decidedly stands as a bridge between the past and the present." 54 In this sense, Holiday is also this post-colonial "magic character" 55 that occupies the in-between space of the past and present because she can "journey back through history with the goal of shedding light on the present of [her] contemporaries." 56 In the context of this blues practice, Sears' Billie is representative of Billie Holiday, and Shakespeare's sybil is the unnamed and unrecognized "musical ancestor."…”