Magical Realism in a Fantasy World: A Reading of Susan Abulhawa’s The Blue Between Sky and Water

Abstract

The twentieth century had a really dark beginning. It was the time when a few held their hands upon the others. It was the period when a few cared only for their living. It was the age when a few oppressed the hope and dream of many for their own pleasure. The present paper explores  trauma and history in Susan Abul Hawa’s novel The Blue Between Sky and Water. In the wake of current political conditions, literature has a responsibility to record history when history itself falls short. The Middle East has probably seem more political upheavals than any other region in the world. The present paper explores Magical realism is a literary style, it describes the fantastic or supernatural elements are incorporated into a realistic narrative without questioning their existence. The main focus of the story deals on the characters’ reactions, emotions and experiences within the magical setting. The fictional elements Susan’s book embrace historical tragedies and portrays its magical consequences on the marginalized voices of the region. The psychological depth of her character is explored through omniscient point of view in her novel. Some writers used techniques like magical Realism and fantasy through which reality and fantasy were mixed to depict the pathetic condition of the innocent. Adhering to this fact, Susan Abul Hawa’s pens her second novel The Blue Between Sky and Water (2015). The paper explores the Palestinian’s painful experiences which are transmitted to their descendants via colonization. This paper entitled “Magical Realism in Fantasy World:  A reading of Susan Abulhawas. The Blue Between Sky and water” aims at presenting the elements of fantasy found in the novel thereby showing the effect of pain undergone by the Palestinians.