Magic Realism in Lilliam Rivera’s Never Look Back (2021)
Magic Realism in Lilliam Rivera’s Never Look Back (2021)

Summary/Abstract: The article analyses the application of the mode of magic realism in Lilliam Rivera’snovel Never Look Back (2021), which retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Euridice. The essayexamines how the elements of the myth are transformed through the Caribbean charactersin the contemporary setting of the South Bronx. The first part of the article introduces thetheoretical framework of the literary mode known as magic realism. The second sectionanalyses the realistic elements of the narrative and highlights the traumatic experience ofthe Puerto Rican character, a Hurricane María survivor. The third part examines the magicalstrain of the narrative and establishes a relationship between trauma and magic realism whenthe protagonist finds relief via the supernatural. The paper argues that the novel providesa graspable representation of a traumatic event by combining ancient myth with magic realismand Caribbean heritage.

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