19th-Century Literary Realism and Naturalism

Key Features of 19th-Century Realism

Realism was a cultural movement of 19th-century bourgeois society that rejected rhyming fantasy and idealism. Its main features include:

• Observation and accurate description of reality: The interest in the observation of reality ran parallel to the experimental methods of science.
• Focus on factual reality: Authors wrote realistically about the subjects they knew intimately.
• Social and political criticism: Authors described reality to highlight social degradation and demand a return to traditional values.
• Simple and sober style: The stylistic ideal was accuracy, as the writer sought to liken their work to that of a scientist.
• Predilection for the novel: This genre was best suited to reflect reality in its entirety.

Characteristics of the Realistic Novel

The typical traits of a realistic novel include verisimilitude, the use of individual or collective actors, an omniscient narrator, didacticism, a linear structure, minute descriptions, and an approximation of colloquial language.

Naturalism and the Scientific Method

Naturalism was a literary trend that evolved during the last third of the 19th century in France. It was championed by the novelist Émile Zola, who intended for literature to become a science whose object of study was the social environment. Regarding the narrative point of view, just as a scientist analyzes facts, the novelist was expected to act as an impersonal and objective narrator who does not intervene in the story.

Prominent Pre-Realist and Realist Authors

Fernán Caballero is the pseudonym of the writer Cecilia Böhl de Faber (1796–1877). Her works still abound with Romantic elements; the best known are The Seagull and The Alvareda Family.

Pedro Antonio de Alarcón (1833–1891) was also a pre-Realist writer. His most celebrated work is the novel The Three-Cornered Hat.

Juan Valera (1824–1905) is the author of well-known novels such as Pepita Jiménez, Doña Luz, and Juanita la Larga. His style is refined, featuring skillful construction and the use of irony to create distance between the characters and the author.

José María de Pereda (1833–1906) defended an idyllic rural world against the perceived evils of urban and bourgeois life. Most of his novels take place in Cantabria, serving as examples of the so-called regional novel.

Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851–1921) produced a diverse narrative body of work. In pieces such as The Tribune, Los Pazos de Ulloa, and Mother Nature, one can perceive the influence of rugged Naturalist situations. However, Naturalist determinism is often corrected by the author's religious faith.

Masterpieces of Leopoldo Alas Clarín

La Regenta (The Judge's Wife)

The Judge's Wife is an exceptional novel that tells the story of a wife's frustrated adultery. The true protagonist of the play is the provincial society, which Clarín uses to expose the pettiness of Restoration Spain.

His Only Son

His Only Son explores life in a small capital through a frustrated marriage. The relationships with members of an acting company place the action within a foreign environment.