| dc.description.abstract | This study analyses the magical and realistic phenomena in David
Wiseman’s Jeremy Visick. There are some events occurred in the novel where it is
considered to be supernatural, and unrealistic. The novel shows us unrealistic
interactions between the main character, Matthew, and the Visicks family.
Matthew himself can interact with Jeremy Visick. There are realistic depictions
from the novel such as where the setting of the novel takes place. Magical realism
is used in this study because the merging of magical and realistic phenomena that
occurred is within magical realism analysis. The phenomena is analyzed using
Faris’ magical realism theory which gives five elements to determine either the
text considered magical realism or not. These five elements include the irreducible
element (magical events), the phenomenal world (realistic events), unsettling
doubt (doubts from reader), merging realm (combination of opposing world), and
the disrupted time, space and identity (bizzare events that disrupt the normal time,
space, and identity). Additionally, these elements will be analyzed using
defocalization as a narrative technique. Later, the defocalization is used to
determine the ideological construction from the narrative.
Qualitative research is used in this study because the data are in the form of
words and sentences. The data are divided into primary and secondary data. The
primary data are taken directly from the novel, Jeremy Visick, in form of direct
quotation. The data can be dialogue or paragraphs that represent the magical
realism in the novel. The secondary data are taken from books, thesis, and internet
journals which related to the topic discussed to support the study of magical
realism in Jeremy Visick.
In Jeremy Visick, the magic element is defined by the presence of ghosts
of dead people, and the illogical experience that happened to the main character
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Matthew, while the realism in the novel is the real world he lives in. The five
characteristics in Faris’ theory to define magical realism found in this novel are to
define the treatment of magical realism in Jeremy Visick. The first element,
irreducible events can be seen in the presence of ghosts in the text. The second
element, the phenomenal world is evident through the real world places and
historical figure mentioned in the novel: classroom, James Watt, and mining areas
in Cornwall. The third element, unsettling doubts is when readers doubt
Matthew’s ability to see Jeremy and the other dead people, whether it is real or it
is just a dream. The fourth element is merging realms which are shown when two
timelines, past (Jeremy’s) and present (Mathhew’s) merge into one. The last
element, disruption of space, time, and identity, is shown in the narrative when
Matthew sees and experiences the past and the traces of the event itself.
Wiseman uses defocalization as a narrative strategy since two different
perspectives exist in Jeremy Visick. Wiseman presented the encounter of a
twelve-year-old young boy with another boy who was already dead hundred years
ago in the appearance of a ghost or spirit. Through magical events, the narrative
repeatedly explains the difficult kind of life Jeremy has as a boy compared to
Matthew. Hence, the narrative is linked not only through the spirit presence of its
defocalized mode but also to historical and social contexts.
Wiseman presents social issues within the narrative with magical events
which can be said to relate to postmodernism. The defocalized narrative, by the
presence of two perspective, can be seen as an attempt to recover the history of
child labor in the mines in the 1800s. This novel stands in opposition to real
history of child labor in Cornwall mines in the eighteenth century where many
children were employed to work in the mines and died because of it. Jeremy is
fictional but a representative character for all the children who worked and died
because of the harsh conditions while working in the mines. | en_US |
