Magic Realism as a Narrative Strategy in Postcolonial English Literature

Abstract

Magic realism has emerged as one of the most influential narrative strategies in postcolonial English literature. By blending the magical with the real, this mode of narration challenges Western rationalism, destabilizes colonial historiography, and provides a powerful aesthetic for representing hybrid realities shaped by colonization, cultural dislocation, and resistance. This research paper examines magic realism as a literary strategy rather than merely a stylistic device, focusing on how postcolonial writers use it to articulate suppressed histories, negotiate identity, and critique colonial and neo-colonial power structures. Through an analysis of selected works by writers such as Salman Rushdie, Gabriel García Márquez (as a foundational influence), Ben Okri, Amitav Ghosh, and others, the paper argues that magic realism enables postcolonial authors to represent realities that conventional realist narratives fail to capture. The study situates magic realism within postcolonial theory and demonstrates its political, cultural, and epistemological significance.

Keywords: Magic Realism, Postcolonial Literature, Narrative Strategy, Hybridity, Colonial Discourse, English Literature