Literary Realism: Characteristics and Authors

What is Literary Realism and When Did It Emerge?

Literary realism emerged as a way of representing reality, aiming to get closer to its individual social and cultural aspects. Realists analyze and deepen human reality through direct observation of everyday life. It arose in the second half of the nineteenth century.

What Was the Most Cultivated Genre in Realism?

The novel was the most cultivated genre because it was considered the most appropriate means of expression to depict reality. The origin of the realistic novel can be found in the genre of the novel of manners and the sixteenth-century Spanish romance tradition.

Features of the Realistic Novel

• Interest in humans and the social and cultural environment in which they live.
• Observation and description of reality. It was a time of great social change. The writer invents stories based on everyday life.
• Diversity of characters: Opportunistic officials, ruined workers, etc. All their wishes, vices, and virtues are represented.
• A didactic purpose and a desire to convey moral and social teachings to the reader with the aim of changing society.
• A credible narrative technique.
• Appropriateness of language to the characters. Everyone speaks according to their social background.
• Detailed description of settings and characters.
• Simple and unadorned style, far from the expressions of the Romantics.

Why Do We Say That Galdós is a Novelist of Reality?

Because Galdós was inspired by reality itself to create his work, mostly set in nineteenth-century Madrid, which becomes a sign of the Spain he wants to present.

Name Three Works by Galdós

• Misericordia (1897)
• Doña Perfecta (1876)
• Marianela (1878)

What is Galdós' Novel Misericordia About?

It relates the misery in which beggars lived, some born into it and others driven there by fate or their mistakes. Among the characters, Benina stands out for her goodness. She is a maid who provides a bridge between two worlds. For Nina, she will be the only relief, the only hope for overcoming evil.

Why is Leopoldo Alas Clarín Called a Novelist of Souls?

Because Clarín understood the novel as a study of souls. Clarín starts from a realist conception of the novel, understood as an invitation to life rather than simple action, delving into the thoughts of the characters.

What is Clarín's Most Important Novel?

La Regenta is considered his masterpiece, with hints of naturalism, detailed descriptions, and a thorough presentation of the environment. The beautiful young Ana, married to the old ruler of the ancient provincial city, Don Victor Quintana, lives in constant unhappiness and frustration.