Scribd
Upload
4K views

English Assignment 1

In the document, Isabel Allende uses magic realism in Phantom Palace to represent the loss of indigenous culture in Latin America and give hope for its survival. Certain elements in the story, like the changing appearance of the Summer Palace building, parallel how invading forces slowly altered the unique identities of native peoples. While the culture appears overwhelmed by other societies growing around it, the story suggests it is not truly lost if remembered. The relationship between the benefactor and Marcia Lieberman begins with him falling in love with her at a dinner. He later kidnaps her and keeps her at one of his estates, trying to make her happy through stories. Marcia is attracted to him but wants to return to her husband. The

Uploaded by

RMKamran
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
4K views

English Assignment 1

In the document, Isabel Allende uses magic realism in Phantom Palace to represent the loss of indigenous culture in Latin America and give hope for its survival. Certain elements in the story, like the changing appearance of the Summer Palace building, parallel how invading forces slowly altered the unique identities of native peoples. While the culture appears overwhelmed by other societies growing around it, the story suggests it is not truly lost if remembered. The relationship between the benefactor and Marcia Lieberman begins with him falling in love with her at a dinner. He later kidnaps her and keeps her at one of his estates, trying to make her happy through stories. Marcia is attracted to him but wants to return to her husband. The

Uploaded by

RMKamran
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Q#1: Comment on Magic Realism of Phantom Palace.

Answer: In order to narrate a magic realism, Phantom Palace is a best and wonderful
story. We can notice that Isabel Allende uses Magic Realism throughout the text of
Phantom Palace to elicit sympathy for the loss of the Indian’s unique culture, or
conversely, hope for its ultimate survival, which is symbolized through the survival of the
Summer Palace. We also notice that in summer palace, the building materials had changed
color, the greyhounds had broken their leashes and turned wild, and birds had nestled in
the columns and covered the reliefs with droppings.  Author also makes a difficult situation
parallel to the fate of the Indians, who also can be described as being surrounded on every
side by invading forces having their unique identities slowly corroded and changed. 
Because author momentarily shifts the viewpoint to that of the helpless Summer Palace,
this “magic”, therefore, is not cast upon the Summer Palace, but upon Marcia herself
through her sense of belonging to this palace, and her assertion of ownership of it, she has
also ultimately embraced the cause to which the Summer Palace is called: guardianship
over the Indians it surrounds.

In these final paragraphs of Phantom Palace, author leaves readers with a sense of hope,
both for the subjects of this new democracy (who we assume will be able to benefit from
this government-sponsored Academy of Art), and for the Indians, whose magical
invisibility has surround the Summer Palace. In the end, author describes this phantom
palace’s occasional reappearance may serve to remind us that even a culture appears to
become overrun and buried by the overgrowth of other societies around it, it is never truly
lost as long as people remember it. Thus the story does not present a happy ending, for the
woman who discovers herself must live in a virtual world and however, pregnant with
possibility. But the dictators wait just around the historical bend.

Q#2: Comment on relationship of E1 benefactor and Marcia Lieberman.

Answer: E1 benefactor was a crude, self-restrained man and had strange habits. His most
strange habit was that he considered that all women, except his own other, a potentially
perverse and he always stay away from them. On the other hand, Marcia, wife of
Ambassador Lieberman, was a brilliant woman and efficiently managed her domestic staff.
When her husband was appointed as a new Ambassador, E1 benefactor invited the couple
to dinner for the reason of protocol. When E1 benefactor saw the wife of Ambassador, for
the first time, he felt something special in his heart and fell in love with her. When he
continuously gazed at her, Marcia felt that this man has bad intention to me. Actually, E1
benefactor did not how to treat a lady. One day, he kidnapped the Marcia from her home as
her husband was going outside for work. He had hidden her on one of his estates, where he
visited her daily. He always tried to make her happy. He told her childhood stories and his
life as a soldier, but Marcia did not give much importance to E1 benefactor. But she was
little attracted to him. It was due to Ambassador Lieberman never give attention to his wife
Marcia and she thought that how much this old man loves me as there is no relationship
between me and him, but Marcia still wanted to go back to her home, because she loves
her husband. One day, she tried to escape but failed. E1 benefactor loved her so much that
he decided to invite her to go with him to the Summer Palace so that she could see the
paradise of the Belgian naturalist she had read so much. Marcia became very happy to saw
the beautiful sceneries of living creature of Summer Palace. One day, E1 benefactor was
returned to the city without Marcia because she gave no signs of going with him. He had
free her and left few guards to serve the property and few employees to serve her. After
some time, when E1 benefactor died, and Marcia heard this news without any emotion.
Marcia has passed her life peacefully among Indians and forgets her past.

You might also like