World LiteratureWorld Literature

Magical Realism and The Handsomest Drowned Man

in the World

Magical RealismMagical Realism

Magical realism is a category of fiction in which fantastic, unbelievable events take place in a realistic setting.

It is associated with Latin American fiction.

Read the excerpt from “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” Answer the following questions.

What is unrealistic or fantastic about the passage?

What is realistic about the passage?

Characteristics of Magical Characteristics of Magical RealismRealism

Realistic Elements- contains recognizable characters, believable dialogue, a true-to life setting and accounts of actual historical events.

Magical Elements- contains supernatural or mysterious elements

Humor and Exaggeration- uses a lot of description using this element of writing

Magical Realism cont.Magical Realism cont.

Distortions of Time and Identity- readers may see events and characters blurred or changed during reading.

Political and Social Commentary- writers directly or indirectly address important political and social issues such as racism, tyranny, and conformity

Handsomest Drowned Man in the Handsomest Drowned Man in the WorldWorld by Gabriel Garcia Marquez by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Gabriel Garcia

Marquez –born in Columbia

Influenced by his grandmother’s unique storytelling style

Abandoned his law studies to pursue a career as a journalist

Became a freelance journalist where he worked in France, England and Venezuela.

Established a news agency in Havana and New York.

Gabriel Garcia MarquezGabriel Garcia Marquez

Awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1982

Greatest literature achievement has been the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, which was published in 1967

In 1999, García Márquez was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, and to this day he suffers under a regimen of treatments.

Connect to Your LifeConnect to Your Life

Have you ever met or heard of someone who made you want to live your life differently? Write a few sentences about this person.

Focus your reading on what the drowned man represents as you are reading the story. As you read the story, pay attention to the effects that the drowned man has on the people of the village. Jot down the effects in a chart.

Before ReadingBefore Reading

Copy the definitions for the vocabulary words listed at the bottom page of the story in your notebook.

labyrinth improvisehaggardvirile arid

Half a DayHalf a Day

By Naguib Mahfouz

Naguib MahfouzNaguib Mahfouz

Awarded 1988 Nobel Prize in literature

Born in Cairo Earned a degree in

philosophy and started to publish his fiction

Supported peace with Israel and was not admired universally

Nearly all of his work takes place in Cairo

In Half a Day Mahrouz hints, at the degree of change he has seen in Cairo over his lifetime

Died August 30, 2006

Connect to Your LifeConnect to Your Life

“Half a Day” begins with the narrator remembering his first day of school as a young boy. In what ways have you changed since your first day of school? In what ways has your community changed?

As you read “Half a Day,” ask yourself, How does the title relate to the meaning of the story? What idea is the title referring to?

Focus Your ReadingFocus Your Reading

As you read “Half a Day” try to identify with the feelings and experiences of the main character. Then, after you’ve finished the story, complete the following sentence in your notebook: ______________ in the story reminds me of a time in my life when______________________________.

VocabularyVocabulary

Copy words and definitions for the words at the bottom of pages 1368-1370.

Assessment: Write a one-paragraph summary of the short story “Half a Day”. An effective summary will present the main events in chronological order and summarizes will be judged according to your accuracy and completeness.

School MemorySchool Memory

In a personal narrative, describe a vivid memory you have of your early school days. Due

Counting in SevensCounting in Sevensby Judith Wrightby Judith Wright

How does the speaker of the poem measure and mark the passage of time?

Identify some of the strange presents the speaker has been given at different ages.