Exploring Realism in Literature: A Journey through the Realistic Novel Movement

 
   
Realistic Novel
Introduction: 
Realism
           
 
in literature - associated with the realist art
                movement.
           
  E
merged during mid-19
th
 century in France and
               Russia
           
  Response to classical demands of creative
               writings.
           
  
attempted  to show life as it should be
           
  
as well as against the idealistic conceptions of
               Romantic writings.
           
 F
irstly used by 
Friedrich Schiller
 in his letter
              to Goethe.
 
 
term is applied to the works of literature dealing with the
   new approach to character and subject  matter, where stories
   reflect real life
The term is applied to the works of literature that deal with
  the new approach to character and subject matter
 
stories reflect real life and fictional characters as if  they are
  real characters.
 
No place for fantasy and supernatural
 I
nstead, it represents common people and their different day
   to day activities, joys, sorrows, successes, and failures.
 
e.g. The Human Comedy
  a realistic portrait of all aspects of
France of his time
 characters portrayed therein are from the lowest thief or
prostitute to the highest aristocrat or political leader.
 
First work that can be called truly realistic is the work of
Gustave Flaubert (France), Anton Chekhov (Russia), George
Eliot (England), and Mark Twain and William Dean Howells (
the USA).
 
Their novels deal with the complex characters with mixed
motives that are rooted in social class and operate according to a
highly developed social structure.
 
 
Attention is given to details and an effort is made to replicate
the true nature of reality in a way that novelists had never
attempted before.
 
Novel’s function : simply to report what happens, without
comment or judgment.
 
 
Characters in a realistic novel interact with other characters
and undergo plausible and everyday experiences.
 
Novel’s function : simply to report what happens, without
comment or judgment.
 
Definitions of Realistic Novel:
Definitions:
  
A type of novel characterized as the fictional attempt to give
the effect of realism by representing complex characters with
mixed motives who are rooted in a social class, operate in a
highly developed social structure, interact with many other
characters, and undergo plausible and everyday modes of
experience.
   
Abrams’ Glossary of Literary Terms
*
A type of novel that places a strong emphasis on the truthful
representation of the actual in fiction.
   
Holman’s Handbook to Literature
 
* There is a kind of novel which in fact creates and judges the
quality of a whole way of living in terms of the qualities of
persons. . . . it offers a valuing creation of a whole way of life, a
society, that is larger than any of the individuals composing it,
and at the same time valuing creations of individual human
beings . . . Neither element, neither the society nor the individual,
is there as a priority. The society is not a background against
which the personal relationships are studied, nor are the
individuals merely illustrations of aspects of the way of life. I call
this the realistic tradition . . .
     
Raymond Williams
 
Features of the Realistic Novel:
1. Objectivity and fidelity:
 
 
 
objectivity and fidelity to facts.
       
 
Many writers of the period had concurrent occupations
          in the publishing industry
 
 
Use of  journalistic technique to represent the everyday
                 reality with detailed descriptions of the surrounding
                 world they had witnessed.
 
2. Docudrama:
 
 
characters and events are intended to seamlessly
reproduce the real world.
 growing concern with the plight of the less fortunate
in society
 New subjects
 
 typical subject
 : 
upwardly mobile middle class
performing to retain their position in the world
 
3.Portrayal of human psychology:
 
represent the inner workings of the mind, and the
delicate play of emotions.
 Portrayal of complicated 
human consciousness
 
human mind there are very few absolutes which help
in shaping a new sensibility of the human world.
belief in
 the concept that people are neither completely
good nor completely bad, but somewhere on the
spectrum.
 
4.Complex Characters:
 
intricate and layered characters who, feel as though
they could be flesh and blood creatures.
 
internal monologues and a keen understanding of
human psychology.
 
individual is composed of a network of motivations,
interests, desires, and fears.
 
Changes in mood, perceptions, opinions and ideas
constitute the turning points or climaxes.
 
5.Plot Structure:
 
destroyed the established form of plot structure which
presents the notion of a systematic outline that follows a
definite arc of events, with an identifiable climax and
resolution.
 
Realistic novelists observe that life does not follow
such patterns, so for them, neither should the novel.
 
Instead of grand happenings, tragedies and epic turns
of events, the realistic novel plods steadily over a track
not greatly disturbed by external circumstances.
 
6.Narrative Style:
experimentation with Narrative style
Instead of an omniscient narrator calmly describing the
persons and events, readers often confront unreliable
narrators who do not have all the information.
Often, the narrators’ perceptions are coloured by their
own prejudices and beliefs.
story inside a story
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Realism in literature, originating in the mid-19th century in France and Russia, aimed to portray life authentically, devoid of idealistic elements. This introduction delves into how realistic novels focus on ordinary characters in everyday situations, steering clear of fantasy. Writers like Flaubert, Chekhov, Eliot, Twain, and Howells became prominent for their realistic portrayals, emphasizing details and striving for a genuine reflection of reality without bias or commentary.


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  1. Realistic Novel Introduction: Realism in literature - associated with the realist art movement. Emerged during mid-19thcentury in France and Russia Response to classical demands of creative writings. attempted to show life as it should be as well as against the idealistic conceptions of Romantic writings. Firstly used by Friedrich Schiller in his letter to Goethe.

  2. term is applied to the works of literature dealing with the new approach to character and subject matter, where stories reflect real life The term is applied to the works of literature that deal with the new approach to character and subject matter stories reflect real life and fictional characters as if they are real characters. No place for fantasy and supernatural Instead, it represents common people and their different day to day activities, joys, sorrows, successes, and failures.

  3. e.g. The Human Comedy a realistic portrait of all aspects of France of his time characters portrayed therein are from the lowest thief or prostitute to the highest aristocrat or political leader. First work that can be called truly realistic is the work of Gustave Flaubert (France), Anton Chekhov (Russia), George Eliot (England), and Mark Twain and William Dean Howells ( the USA). Their novels deal with the complex characters with mixed motives that are rooted in social class and operate according to a highly developed social structure.

  4. Attention is given to details and an effort is made to replicate the true nature of reality in a way that novelists had never attempted before. Novel s function : simply to report what happens, without comment or judgment. Characters in a realistic novel interact with other characters and undergo plausible and everyday experiences. Novel s function : simply to report what happens, without comment or judgment.

  5. Definitions: A type of novel characterized as the fictional attempt to give the effect of realism by representing complex characters with mixed motives who are rooted in a social class, operate in a highly developed social structure, interact with many other characters, and undergo plausible and everyday modes of experience. Abrams Glossary of Literary Terms *A type of novel that places a strong emphasis on the truthful representation of the actual in fiction. Holman s Handbook to Literature

  6. * There is a kind of novel which in fact creates and judges the quality of a whole way of living in terms of the qualities of persons. . . . it offers a valuing creation of a whole way of life, a society, that is larger than any of the individuals composing it, and at the same time valuing creations of individual human beings . . . Neither element, neither the society nor the individual, is there as a priority. The society is not a background against which the personal relationships are studied, nor are the individuals merely illustrations of aspects of the way of life. I call this the realistic tradition . . . Raymond Williams

  7. Features of the Realistic Novel: 1. Objectivity and fidelity: objectivity and fidelity to facts. Many writers of the period had concurrent occupations in the publishing industry Use of journalistic technique to represent the everyday reality with detailed descriptions of the surrounding world they had witnessed.

  8. 2. Docudrama: characters and events are intended to seamlessly reproduce the real world. growing concern with the plight of the less fortunate in society New subjects typical subject : upwardly mobile middle class performing to retain their position in the world

  9. 3.Portrayal of human psychology: represent the inner workings of the mind, and the delicate play of emotions. Portrayal of complicated human consciousness human mind there are very few absolutes which help in shaping a new sensibility of the human world. belief in the concept that people are neither completely good nor completely bad, but somewhere on the spectrum.

  10. 4.Complex Characters: intricate and layered characters who, feel as though they could be flesh and blood creatures. internal monologues and a keen understanding of human psychology. individual is composed of a network of motivations, interests, desires, and fears. Changes in mood, perceptions, opinions and ideas constitute the turning points or climaxes.

  11. 5.Plot Structure: destroyed the established form of plot structure which presents the notion of a systematic outline that follows a definite arc of events, with an identifiable climax and resolution. Realistic novelists observe that life does not follow such patterns, so for them, neither should the novel. Instead of grand happenings, tragedies and epic turns of events, the realistic novel plods steadily over a track not greatly disturbed by external circumstances.

  12. 6.Narrative Style: experimentation with Narrative style Instead of an omniscient narrator calmly describing the persons and events, readers often confront unreliable narrators who do not have all the information. Often, the narrators perceptions are coloured by their own prejudices and beliefs. story inside a story

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