Realism

Importance of realism in literature

‘Realism’ aimed to highlight the ‘reality’ or the ‘true nature of reality’ in works of literature. The aim of a text of literary realism is to portray real life as it is perceived around us. The world around us, according to pioneers of literary realism, is rich in meaning, depth, and objective perception. Authors of realism, particularly the realist novel, use narrative techniques to convey what the characters or narrators believe to be unbiased, objective truths

Realism is important in literature because it shows the everyday experiences of regular, usually middle or lower class people in a society. These experiences show what life is like in that reality, so it is rather different from what literature typically does for readers – provide an escape from the mundanity of the everyday. Realism provides the average person with stories that they can relate to, as these stories can reflect their experiences.

Realism contributed significantly to literature because it offered a contrast to romanticism, a literary movement with idealised portrayals of characters and their experiences. Realism focused instead on truthful storytelling and the everyday person, making these stories more relatable to the average person.

In their mission to report and represent factual elements of everyday life, authors of realism were opposed to the exaggeration, flights of fancy and individualism that characterised the Romantic period. You could say that realism was a reaction against Romanticism.

The Romantics employed exotic settings, supernatural elements, flowery language and ‘heroism’ in their works. They did this to break away from the Classicists and to ‘celebrate’ life and nature. In turn, literary realism developed to break away from Romantic ideals and prized the mundane, the ordinary, the plausible.

Literary realists observed how the Industrial Revolution and rapid urbanisation were changing lives. As the middle class emerged and literacy spread, there was renewed interest in the ordinary and ‘everyday’ aspects of people’s lives. The ordinary man or woman found themselves represented in works of literary realism. Because they could relate to these texts, works of literary realism became increasingly popular.

While Romantics often focused on the individual and the solitary, realists centred their work on groups of people – this could be a group of people going to the same school, or a group of people with the same social standing, for example, the upper-middle class. In doing so, realist authors were careful not to hint at their own judgments or biases towards the subject of their work. Realism largely tends to the novel genre (and of course, the occasional novella or short story) as the novel provides room and flexibility for the development of its characters.

Realism in British literature

Realism in British literature is particularly notable in the Victorian era (1837-1901). Charles Dickens was a major proponent of realism, as many of his stories depicted the lives of working-class people in Victorian England. In many of his stories, such as Great Expectations (1861) and Oliver Twist (1837), he explores how the working class navigate surviving in a hostile political and social environment where living and working conditions were often abysmal.

Characteristics of realist literature

The characteristics and themes of realist literature vary depending on the type of realism you use. Here are some of the most common characteristics and themes of realism across the various types:

• Detailed accounts of everyday occurrences

• Follows the lives of everyday people, often of the middle or lower class

• Plausible plot

• Realistic setting

• Spotlight on characters’ ethical decisions

• Characters with complex behaviours and motives (similar to how complex people are in real life)

Types of realism in literature

Here are 6 common types of realism in literature.

Magical realism

Magical realism is a type of realism that involves combining fantasy and magic with reality. The magical elements are depicted as though they were a normal part of reality. Magic is treated by characters as a regular part of their day-to-day lives. This has the effect of making the fantasy elements seem more realistic to readers.

Socialist realism

Socialist realism was initially an art movement that was used as a propaganda tool by Soviet (USSR) political leader Joseph Stalin (1878-1953). Stalin used it to maintain control of the USSR by commissioning art that depicted life in the Soviet Union in a positive light. Its intent was to support the ideals portrayed by Stalin's government. Features of this type of artwork were depicting Stalin as the father of the nation and the heroic leader of workers and soldiers. The art movement of socialist realism was later used significantly by Communist movements. Socialist realism in literature focuses on reflecting the ideals of socialism. These ideals include having a classless society and centring on the experiences of the proletariat.

Fig. 1 - Sickle and hammer, symbol of Socialism.

Psychological realism

Psychological realism was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It focuses on the internal dialogue or thoughts and convictions of characters. Through psychological realism, authors can explain why characters do the things they do. How the authors shape these characters and their convictions is often a reflection of societal and political issues.

Fig. 2 - Brain, representative of psychology.

Social realism

Social realism showcases the conditions and experiences of the working class. Social realism often critiques power structures that dictate the world the working class have to survive in. It can show how the working class lives in poor conditions, whilst the government or ruling classes live in exponentially better conditions, profiting from the labour of the working class.

Kitchen sink realism

Kitchen sink realism is a type of social realism that focuses on the experiences of young, working class British men who live in the industrial north of England. The lifestyle of the characters featured in kitchen sink realism shows the cramped living spaces and the low quality of living they endure. It is called ‘kitchen sink realism’ as it is inspired by the art movement of kitchen sink realism which features everyday objects such as beer bottles. Domestic affairs are often a key component of this type of realism.

Naturalism

Naturalism is a type of realism that was developed in the late 19th Century as a counter-movement to Romanticism. Naturalism shows how family, one’s environment and social conditions shape one’s character. A common aspect of naturalism is when characters experience a struggle for their survival in hostile environments.

This theme takes its inspiration from Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution about the survival of the fittest members of a species in hostile environments. The key difference between realism and naturalism is that realism suggests that natural forces predetermine the decisions a character makes to survive and exist in a society. On the other hand, realism, in general, shows a character's response to their environment.

Fig. 3 - Evolution of man, representative of Darwin's theory of evolution and survival of the fittest.

Modern Realist literature

Modern realism literature refers to a type of realism that is set in the present day and the events featured could occur in readers’ reality, though they are fictional. This type of realism does not involve magic or any science fiction elements. Some themes within contemporary realism literature are social and political issues, romance, coming of age and illness.

Examples of realism in literature

Let's look at a few well-known examples of realism in fiction!

Of Mice and Men (1937) John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men (1937) follows George Milton and Lennie Small, migrant ranch workers who travel across California in search of work. The novel is set during the Great Depression (1929-1939) in America. This novel shows the realities of workers at the time of the Great Depression as many people lost their jobs, their homes, and had to travel for any sort of work. Readers follow the two in their new post at a farm as they have to navigate the relationship with the farm owner’s son, Curley, and other workers on the farm. This is an example of social realism as it depicts the everyday reality of working people in the face of the political and social decline following the Great Depression in America.

A Summer Bird-Cage (1963) Margaret Drabble

This novel depicts the lives of sisters Sarah and Louise. Sarah considers what she could do with her life now, after recently graduating from Oxford University. She pines for her lover, Francis, a historian at Harvard. In the meantime, the relationship between the sisters is explored as Sarah does not approve of Louise’s husband, Halifax. Sarah soon discovers that Louise is having an extramarital affair and confronts her about it. The sisters navigate their relationship with each other and their romantic relationships, as well as what they want from their lives as ordinary people. This is an example of realism and does not completely fit into any of the specific sub-types of realism.

Hard Times (1854) Charles Dickens

Hard Times (1854) is a satirical critique of social and economic conditions in Victorian England. The action mainly occurs in Coketown, a fictional industrial town in the north of England. The novel follows wealthy merchant Thomas Gradgrind and his family, who live in Coketown. Josiah Bounderby is a wealthy banker and the owner of a factory in Coketown, and he prides himself on telling the tale of his upbringing in poverty. Stephen Blackpool works at Bounderby's factory during the time when the workers of the factory organise a union for better working conditions. This novel is an example of social realism, as it shows the discrepancies between the experiences of the poor to those of the rich.