Realism literary period
The Realism literary period emerged in the nineteenth century as a reaction against Romanticism, which emphasized emotional expression and often included fantastical elements. Realism sought to depict life accurately and truthfully, focusing on the everyday experiences of ordinary people without embellishment or stylization. This genre often explored complex political, social, and personal themes, highlighting the struggles and mundane routines of individuals in a rapidly changing world. Notable realist authors, like Stendhal, aimed to provide detailed portrayals of contemporary life, emphasizing an objective reality grounded in the human experience.
As the movement evolved, it branched into sub-genres such as Naturalism, which examined the influences of heredity and environment on behavior; Verismo, which centered on the lives of the Italian poor; Social Realism, which depicted the struggles of the working class; and Socialist Realism, which emphasized the rights of the proletariat in a socialist context. By the early twentieth century, Realism began to decline in popularity, overshadowed by the rise of Modernism, which favored experimental approaches to literature. Overall, the Realism literary period remains significant for its commitment to authenticity and its critical examination of societal issues.
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Realism literary period
Literary Realism is a literary genre which was popular in nineteenth-century France. It was a reaction against the Romantic art movement, which focused more on the emotions portrayed within an artistic work than grounding the work in reality. In contrast with Romantic art, Realist art avoids the use of fantastical or exaggerated elements. Instead, it focuses on examining events and ideas through accurate portrayals of the lives of average people. Literary Realism fell out of favor near the dawn of the twentieth century, when it was eclipsed by the Modernist movement.
Background
Literary Realism was part of the broader Realism art movement. The Realist art movement began in France during the nineteenth century as a reaction to the Romanticist movement. Romanticist art was characterized by the prioritization of emotion over intellect and reason and by the rejection of rationality. It was concerned more with displaying beauty and the creative spirit than accurately portraying its subjects or following any strict ruleset. Romanticist art also commonly included imaginary or fantastical elements.
Early Realist artists felt that the Romanticists had lost touch with the real world. They believed that the artistic community would be better served by an accurate, grounded depiction of humanity. The Realist movement began as a literary phenomenon, as French writers began publishing novels and short fictional works in the new genre. The writer Stendhal, also known as Marie-Henri Beyle, is commonly considered one of the earliest successful Realist authors. He is best known for his novels The Red and the Black (1830) and The Charterhouse of Parma (1839). Stendhal was praised by critics of the time for his accurate and detailed portrayal of the complex political world of nineteenth-century France.
Realism remained popular throughout much of the nineteenth century. However, as the movement quickly became associated with the bourgeoisie of France, it lost favor as the people turned against the ruling elite of Europe. During the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, many writers moved away from Realism and toward Modernism. Whereas Realism promoted a strict adherence to the traditional literary structure and grounded depictions of events, Modernism advocated for experimentation and the complete abandonment of the literary frameworks of previous eras. By the dawn of the twentieth century, Modernism had eclipsed Realism as the dominant European literary movement.
In addition to its literary representation, Realism has been practiced in the visual arts throughout much of history. Visual Realism involves portraying a subject accurately within a visual medium by avoiding stylization of any kind. It was sometimes taught to developing artists to improve their technical skills.
Overview
Literary Realism is characterized by the attempt to represent reality accurately and truthfully in a literary format. This includes avoiding artistic embellishments and stylization. It also includes avoiding the portrayal of any magical or implausible events. For these reasons, Realist writers often sought to portray the ugliest parts of political situations, personal events, or daily life. They were also known for focusing on the mundane routines in which humans engage each day. In doing so, they portrayed their belief in an objective reality that was best interpreted through the human senses. Realist writers rejected notions of faith, miracles, or any Romanticization of the struggles faced by the average person of their time. They also supported interpreting the world through the lens of the scientific method, praising the achievements of the scientific community and its precise methodology.
Literary Realism is commonly divided into four sub-genres: Naturalism, Verismo, Social Realism, and Socialist Realism. Naturalism was heavily influenced by Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and the scientific community of the nineteenth century. It focused on showing the impact that hereditary genes and the environment in which someone is raised have on the personality of that person. For this reason, Naturalism paid particular attention to the mundane routines that make up much of the average person’s daily life.
Verismo was an Italian branch of the Realism movement. It focused on portraying the struggles that the average person faced during that era. It commonly showed scenes from the lives of the Italian poor, who struggled to secure education. Many protagonists of Verismo novels also noted that the culture and political reality of Italy were changing, but struggled to adapt to their new circumstances.
Like Verismo, Social Realism was known for depicting the lives of the working class. Members of the working class often struggled with poverty and faced mistreatment by the ruling class of society. Despite its disadvantaged position, the working class was essential to the functioning of the social system. In many ways, workers actively contributed to the upkeep of the societal system in which they lived. Additionally, Social Realism was known for using conversations between believable, grounded characters to illustrate the political controversies of the nineteenth century.
Socialist Realism was a sub-genre similar to Social Realism. It was most popular during the early twentieth century in the Soviet Union. Socialist Realism was officially supported by the Soviet government, which used the literary form to illustrate the perceived advantages of a socialist society over a strictly capitalist society. Like Social Realism, Socialist Realism was known for portraying the struggles and disadvantages that plagued the working class of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. However, it was also concerned with promoting the rights of the working class. Socialist Realism glorified the proletariat and its slow progress towards a true socialist state and showed the victimization faced by the proletariat at the hands of the bourgeoisie.
Bibliography
“Realism.” The Literature Network, www.online-literature.com/periods/realism.php. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.
“Realism in American Literature, 1860–1890.” Washington State University, 2013, public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.
“The Nineteenth Century: Realism and Symbolism.” The Norton Anthology, wwnorton.com/college/english/nawest/content/overview/realism.htm. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.
“What Is Literary Realism? Definition and Examples of the Realism Genre in Literature.” Masterclass, 9 Sept. 2021, www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-literary-realism. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.
Yu. “Realism and English Literature.” Oxford Open Learning, 17 Jan. 2023, www.ool.co.uk/english-literature-2/realism-and-english-literature/. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.