Magical Realism in Palestinian Literature and Folktale

This book investigates the manifestations and functions of magical realism in Palestinian literature, and folktales, as a tool that reflects and challenges the ongoing ramifications of the Nakba. Since the 1948 Nakba Palestinians have learned to live in two spaces simultaneously: the physical space of their lived reality and one of collective imaginaryin which Palestine before the Nakba, and after liberation, exists. Here, Sanabel Abdel Rahman argues that magical realism, as a narrative literary mode, is used to reflect and challenge the distorted spaces of Palestinian existence. The book analyzes mainly three works of literature: Saraya Bint al-Ghul(Saraya, the Ogre’s Daughter); Bab al-Shams (Gate of the Sun); and al-Talabiyya C345 (Delivery C345) while also consulting the folktales from Qul ya ?ayr (Speak Bird, Speak Again). Through these texts (and others) magical-realistic figures such as ghosts and mythical creatures that revive Palestinian histories of resilience and connection to the land are investigated within the context of distorted spaces. Magical-realistic tropes, such as dreams that reflect the nightmarish character of the current Palestinian reality, as well as dreams of liberation and reifying future returns, are analyzed alongside modes such as surrealism and absurdism while highlighting Palestinian agency and unity. This study is the first of its kind to interrogate magical-realist and folkloric modes in the context of Palestinian literature in order to examine the distorted realities of the Palestinian experience since the Nakba. Drawing on Arabic language works of fiction, the book offers a unique approach to examining contemporary Arabic literary spaces and how these reflect and challenge lived realities.