Magical Realism and Resistance in The Water Dancer

Previous scholarship surrounding Ta-Nehisi Coates’ 2019 novel The Water Dancer [1] has mostly examined the novel through the lenses of trauma and memory. These studies suggest that the enslaved characters’ memories of their ancestors are used as a form of resistance. My paper builds on this scholarship by focusing specifically on how magic is used as a form ofrebellion in the text. Coates' novel follows an enslaved man named Hiram who discovers that he has supernatural powers. He is able to access these magic abilities, known as Conduction, through his connection to his ancestors. Drawing from the collective memory, Hiram is able to use the trauma of his ancestors to magically transport enslaved people over waterways and help them on their journey towards freedom, building a bridge to the future in the process. In this essay, I examine how Hiram uses Conduction as a way to gain freedom and reverse the power dynamics between the enslaved, who are known as the Tasked, and the enslavers, who are referred to as the Quality. By helping others escape and not letting their legacy be forgotten, Hiram’s magical powers allow him to honor the memories of his ancestors and their suffering. In order to consider The Water Dancer’s construction of magic, I consider how the novel draws from magical realism and Black spiritualist practices like conjure and voodoo. The story, I argue, makes connections between memory, magic, and resistance to show how the study of history plays an important role in changing the power dynamics in a society. By positioning The Water Dancer as a magical realist text, I suggest that resistance plays an important role in Coates’ novel by refusing dehumanization and allowing Hiram to regain control over his identity and future while also retaining ties to his community.