Singh, Rani. Magical Realism, 2011, drive.google.com/file/d/172UGiPvtTOOU6vlIgkfHCJWqLR0uYQLf/view. pp 1 - 17

SUMMARIZE:

Magical realism is a broad theme with various sections and subsections in which it is used; all of which Rani Singh’s essay on Magical Realism conveys. In Singh’s essay, she deconstructed and explained the gist of magical realism, subsequently explaining how it is a “matter of perception” and how it is used in literary works to reclaim cultural identity. First, she wrote about magical realism and its brief definition, “Magical realism incorporates the fantastical into reality.” She then wrote about how magical realism installs a narrative that perception is key - and it does not do to be closed-minded while reading such a piece of literature. She finally wrote about how magical realism can rewrite the exoticism of “foreign” cultures by flipping the narrative of who the minority is - with excellent examples by authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a Latin American author.

EVALUATE:

Published in 2011, Rani Singh composed an essay with an accurate description of what and how magical realism is used. Though published over a decade ago, the validity of this information is unwavering and is confirmed through reliable secondary resources such as Britannica and the Oxford Dictionary. In addition to those few sources, Singh draws information from prominent literary works to support her claims, for example, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and Thomas King’s “Green Grass, Running Water.” Rani Singh does not have much prevalence in the media, but this fact becomes futile once reading her impartial and accurate essay. This essay proves itself to be reliable after completing a thorough evaluation of its currency, relevance, authority, authenticity, and purpose.

USEFULNESS:

CapricousLies, creator. Magical Realism, Youtube , 4 Oct. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8iZEcrHHnc. Accessed 15 Jan. 2024.

SUMMARIZE:

There are various interpretations of magical realism and how it's used. In the short video called “Magical Realism” by the anonymous CapriciousLies, he briefly defines magical realism, its origin, prominence in culture, and its other forms. He begins the video by explaining that magical realism is a combination of magical elements, but a realistic world-building - which is what distinguishes it from fantasy. He then talks about the stem of magical realism from postcolonial writing. He then explains magical realism’s prominence in culture, specifically Native Americans and their supernatural beliefs, and a European sense of “rationality.” Finally, he talks about magical realism forms other than literature, primarily the visual arts - where realistic and fantastical elements are portrayed in color and picture.

EVALUATE:

Interpreting whether sources are reliable or not is a strenuous but important task to determine. The short video on magical realism by CapriciousLies seems reputable but has a few dubious components that make one wary of the information that is shared. CapriciousLies released this video over a decade ago in 2011, though that doesn’t affect the accuracy of his research - it is the caption under his video stating that its purpose was for a school English project. This does not eradicate the possibility of accuracy in his work but deems the source not as reliable as others because he is still a student. The video is composed of secondary data from the internet, with little detail but informative. After evaluating this video of its currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose, there are no major falsified or alarming components, still, I would be wary to cite or draw information from said video.

USEFULNESS:

dinodrummer524. Magical Realism Definition, Youtube, 2 Oct. 2012, www.youtube.com/watchv=3kQxkW5Hj08&authuser=0.

SUMMARIZE:

The video “Magical Realism Definition” by dinodrummer524 is an insightful video that gives a clear, concise, and straightforward explanation of magical realism. Dinodrummer524 commenced the video and said that magical realism is a type of fiction that paves the way for many interpretations, usually one of magic and thrill. He then explained the roots of magical realism come from Latin America, and Latinos would travel to Europe to view magical realism visual art, from which they would later draw inspiration. Moving on, the video explains the difference between visual and literary realism - which is that writing contains more fantastical elements and could depict more than a painting. Finally, he explained the common themes in all magical realism pieces, that the characters have no reaction to anything “out of the ordinary”, and prominent authorial reticence.

EVALUATE:

The accuracy and reliability of any source are of utmost importance before commencing any type of research. Upon investigation of the video “Magical Realism Definition” by Dinodrummer524, there are several aspects of his work that make it unprofessional and untrustworthy. Published in 2012, the video provides a lengthy description of magical realism. However, it was created by someone who calls themselves “Dinodrummer524,” which is objectively improper; this goes to question the author's credibility and even their work. Though unprofessional, the video accurately portrays magical realism, as shown in other literary works such as Rani Singh’s magical realism essay. There is no evident bias in this video or grammatical errors. After analyzing this video of its currency, relevance, authority, authenticity, and purpose, it is trustworthy; however, I would not advise drawing all the information from just this one video.

USEFULNESS: