A childhood dream that can be a memory: Magical Realism and Memory in the "Ocean at the End of the Lane"

Abstract

The novel "The Ocean at the end of the Lane" sheds light on the children's view of the world and the unique perception of reality, which is completely different from the perception of adults. The object of the study is the manifestations of memory impairment in the novel. The subject is the analysis of changes in memory with age, as well as its role in overcoming stress caused by trauma. The purpose of the article is to understand, in the light of personality psychology and memory research, how and why the memories of the child protagonist change and merge with the imagination as the narrative changes. This helps to identify oppositions of imagination and reality in the novel, which echoes the perception of the world by the main character-a child in parallel with the perception of the world by adults. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that psychological research is used in the article in order to show how magical realism reflects the problem of memory changes in the novel "Ocean at the End of the Lane", and, therefore, provides a basis for further opportunities to study children's magical perception, realistic memory in postmodern novels. The results of the study demonstrate to what extent the style of magical realism expresses the transformation of mental abilities and perception of reality during the transition from childhood to adulthood in the novel. In this sense, "The Ocean at the end of the Lane" is an image of the world seen both from the point of view of adult life and from the point of view of childhood.