Magical Realism is an Important Element of Post-Modernism and Its Traces in Paulo Coelho’s Novel the Alchemist: A Literary Analysis of the Novel

Abstract

Postmodernism is an important literary theory and Magical Realism is one of its key aspects. .Thus the current study is based on exploring the elements of magical realism in the Alchemist, a novel by Paulo Coelho. The methodology of qualitative nature has been carried out by using close textual analysis with the help of a tool of close reading in the novel. Various elements of magical realism have been explored in this novel by this study. The way the author has used this technique makes the novel appealing and worth reading. The study also proves the novel, as the most successful postmodern text of the current era. The researcher has applied the Close Reading method for current research because the method has enabled researcher to get a better understanding of the text. Finally the results bring light the findings that the text contains the elements of Magical Realism i.e. Fantasy, the mundane/ realworld setting, incorporation of myths, metamorphosis, etc.