19th Century Literary Movements: Realism to Post-Romanticism

19th Century Literary Evolution

The 19th century marked a significant era for storytelling. The Brothers Grimm collected German folktales, originally transmitted orally, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Tom Thumb, and Cinderella. In the United States, other notable stories emerged, including Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra and Edgar Allan Poe's works, which explored themes of police detection, fantasy, and terror.

Defining Realism and Naturalism

Realism and Naturalism in literature are characterized by:

• Realistic descriptions of the external world.
• An attempt to encompass all reality.
• A tendency towards an omniscient narrator.
• The writer's striving for objectivity, often avoiding a subjective point of view.

Realism in France: Key Authors & Naturalism

Stendhal is considered an initiator of the Realist movement in France. Other well-known authors include Honoré de Balzac (La Comédie humaine) and Gustave Flaubert, often considered the century's finest novelist (Madame Bovary). Émile Zola is recognized as the creator and leading exponent of the Naturalist school, which emerged as a distinct branch of Realism. While Realist writers observe and record, Naturalists strive to uncover the underlying laws governing human behavior, often linking them to biological heritage and environmental influences.

Realism in Russia: Literary Giants

Key authors include Fyodor Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov) and Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace, Anna Karenina).

Realism in England: Social Critique & Authors

English Realism is characterized by its intricate plots and melodramatic sentimentality, often used to denounce the abuses and injustices inflicted by Victorian institutions upon the most vulnerable: children and impoverished women. Charles Dickens (Oliver Twist, David Copperfield) was a primary author. Other notable figures often associated with the broader realist movement of the era include Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) and Herman Melville (Moby Dick).

Post-Romanticism: Art, Rebellion, and Beauty

While Realism found its primary expression in the novel and drama, a reaction known as Post-Romanticism emerged. This idealistic Post-Romantic movement was characterized by writers rebelling against bourgeois values and customs. Unlike Romantics who sought artificial paradises, Post-Romantics often clung to adventure, societal critique, or even alcohol. They rejected the society they belonged to and embraced bohemian lifestyles, which presented two archetypes: the dandy (the artist as a cultivated genius and a figure of choice) and the cursed artist (one who suffers profound rejection from their peers). These writers believed that the ultimate purpose of art must be beauty itself. Post-Romanticism reached its peak in France, giving rise to movements like Parnassianism and Symbolism.