Literary Realism and Naturalism Explained

Realism and Naturalism in Literature

In the second half of the 19th century, Europe experienced significant political, social, and economic development. The bourgeoisie consolidated its power as a class. Philosophy focused on strictly observing reality, and literary writers sought to understand and reflect this reality. Thus, Realism emerged.

Realism

Features of Realism

• Focus: Primarily on the bourgeoisie.
• Objectivity: The novel mirrors the reality of the time.
• Style: Simple and clear prose. Characters' speech reflects their social class.
• Social Criticism: Often critiques the opportunistic and greedy bourgeoisie. Stories may feature a noble character who fails.
• Detailed Portrayal: Environments and characters' nature are accurately described.
  • Environment and Behavior: Depicts society, especially the middle and lower classes.
  • Characters: Describes their temperament, strengths, and weaknesses.

Naturalism

Naturalism is an evolution of Realism. Naturalists posited that human behavior is determined by genetic heritage and environment. Émile Zola is considered the leading figure of Naturalism.

Key European Realist Authors

Key European Realist authors include Stendhal, Balzac, Flaubert (who wrote Madame Bovary), and Charles Dickens (known for Oliver Twist).

Russian Realist Authors

Russian Realists include Dostoevsky and Tolstoy.

Spanish Realism

Spanish Realism aimed to describe objective reality through different novel types:

Types of Spanish Realist Novels

• Novel of Contemporary Events: Focuses on observation and character presentation.
• Thesis Novel: Reflects the author's moral stance.
• Psychological Novel: Focuses on characters' psychology.
• Spiritual Realism: Addresses social portraiture and bourgeois criticism from a religious standpoint (e.g., La Regenta).

Spanish Realist Authors

Realism developed slightly later in Spain. Key authors include Juan Valera, Clarín, and Galdós.

Juan Valera

Juan Valera wrote two important novels:

• Pepita Jiménez: An epistolary novel about the love between young seminarian Luis Vargas and the young widow Pepita Jiménez.
• Juanita la Larga: A novel serialized in a newspaper, depicting the relationship between a widower and Juanita, a young woman from the lower class.