The Evolution of 19th Century Literary Movements

The Romantic Revolution and Its Principles

Romanticism is an artistic, political, social, and ideological revolution that remains important today, as it is still home to many of its core principles: freedom, individualism, democracy, and nationalism. Between 1770 and 1800, "absolutist Europe slept and rose democratic, neoclassical, and romantic."

This shift was fueled by several key historical events:

• The English Industrial Revolution (1760–1840): Developed a middle class and laid the foundations of liberalism.
• The French Revolution (1789): Proclaimed the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
• The American Revolution (1776): Its Declaration of Independence made human rights the center, establishing a republic and the people as the only source of power.

Thanks to these facts, freedom replaced tyranny, absolute power was limited, and democracy stood as the ideal government.

The Rise of Realism in the 19th Century

This literary movement appeared in the second half of the nineteenth century as a result of the social circumstances of the time: the consolidation of the bourgeoisie as the ruling class, industrialization, urban growth, and the emergence of the proletariat.

Basic Features of Literary Realism

• Elimination of the Subjective: Removal of fantastic events or feelings that depart from reality.
• Rigorous Analysis: The writer provides a thorough picture of what they see.
• Human Existence: The central theme of the realist novel, focusing on the description of character, temperament, and behavior.

This gave rise to a kind of novel that dissects the motivations of characters and customs. The novelist denounces the defects and ills that affect society and provides the reader with solutions to stop them. Each author, through their ideas, shows what they perceive as an evil of society.

Naturalism: An Outgrowth of Realism

Naturalism emerged as an extension of Realism, aiming to explain human behavior. The naturalist novelist seeks to interpret life by describing the social environment and discovering the laws governing human behavior.

Naturalist writers represent their characters in situations of extreme poverty and marginalization, often describing low and sordid environments to expose the evils of society. The description of these environments allowed for the observation of how a hostile environment influences the characters and what the human responses are to adverse living conditions.