Discovering a Culture through Magical Realism Every culture has a memorable type of literature. When you think of English literature, you think of William Shakespeare or Charles Dickens. American writers Thoreau, Clemens and Emerson remember the days when America was still proving itself equal to European countries. France had its artists, such as Voltaire and Hugo, as did Spain with Cervantes and Dante. But when you think of Latin America, which writers come to mind? Very few of these authors are as well known as those cited. However, through the concept of previously unknown literature, the world sees Latin America in a new light. Magical Realism seems to have flourished in the warm tropical climate and has flourished so magnificently that scholars cannot fully explain this concept and where it originated from. There are many opinions on the true origins of Magical Realism. Flores claimed that Borges, with his completed writings, started the movement. Flores also believes that The Metamorphosis, written by Kafka, strongly influenced Borges, while other theories support Franz Roh as the source of this new movement. The phrase appears to have been first coined by Roh describing a new artistic method in the 1920s. This new artwork combined reality with a small addition of a non-realistic look. For the most part, the general idea follows Roh's theory of creation. Each culture carves its own notch in the world of literature. America had to create its own new literary world and was still criticized for not being like other countries. It seems that when something is different, it is marginalized and criticized to a much greater extent than it should be. This situation... middle of paper... actually originated. The fascination of this literature and the controversies surrounding it will maintain ever-increasing popularity through changing times because it is capable of changing itself. Magical Realism reminds us of the beauty and magic that can be found in everyday life. Works Cited Flores, Angel. "Magical Realism in Hispanic American Fiction." Magical realism: theory, history, community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1995: 109-117. Leal, Luis. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature." Magical realism: theory, history, community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1995: 119-124. Roh, Franz. “Magical Realism: Post-Expressionism.” Magical realism: theory, history, community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1995: 15-31