TOPIC 7.

REALISM AND
NATURALISM

by Kahori Hazell Caballero Gomez

 REALISM
Realism emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century. At this time, there were
problems between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. The workers demanded the abdication of
Louis-Philippe d’Orléans, because they considered the monarchy only satisfied the upper class
and not the working class.

Realism boomed also due to scientific discoveries and developments. Science could now
explain the world through undisputable truths. The readings were as accurate as photographs,
showing a piece of reality just as it is.

Realism pursued to represent reality by imitating it. A stance that is critical and that also
functions as a witness to observe life through many dimensions and facets is presented. In the
Realist movement, the writer pretended to discover what Romanticism was hiding or ignoring;
that's why they always talk about how society is always pretending something that is not (as in
the novels of Stendhal) and covered with hypocrisy. In realistic works you can see the secret
intentions of the characters, hypocrisy and struggle for power.
 REALISM

The ultimate goal of Realism is to The representative authors of

find the knowledge, therefore, a this movement are
favorite genre is the novel; since
● Honoré de Balzac, Gustave
it permits to describe characters,
Flaubert, Charles Dickens,
situations and habits using all
Stendhal, Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy,
the words and pages as needed
Benito Pérez Galdós and Juan
(Thematic Encyclopedia Work
Valera, among others.
Book, 1997).
 ● It was against the Romanticism movement. Realism
seeks peace and not so much the excitement, the
feelings or the idealism of emotions. It tries to solve the
problems in a practical and objective way, despising the
subjectivity that had prevailed.

Some
● It stays away from anything related to feelings,
emotions and spirit. If a feeling is shown, is to analyze
it rather than to be felt.

characteristics
● It becomes impersonal: there is no longer the "I" that
appears in Romanticism, everything is objective.
● As for the story, the main features are the local

of Realism are
environment, the description of events and
contemporary customs, the detailed description, the
spirit of photographic imitation and the reproduction of
colloquial and regional twists (Montes de Oca, 1999, p.
262).
● Everyday life becomes an important issue.
● Real display of the problems that afflict man, especially
the political and social ones.
NATURALISM

Naturalism started in France. It had a strong impact in several

European countries (such as Spain). Some authors categorize it
as an exaggerated realism. The main author was Émile Zola
(who also served as the head of the movement). Inspired by
studies such as Claude Bernard’s Introduction to the Study of
Experimental Medicine (1865) and Dr. Prosper Lucas’ Treatise
on Natural Inheritance (1850) (which talks about how
inheritance makes man to behave in a certain way), Zola tries
to apply these precepts to literature.
 ● Life is conceived as deterministic,
since there are many things that
make man behave in a certain way

Some
(sexual instincts, possession and
power). Being this way, man cannot
do anything.
● Pessimism regarding the fate of

characteristics of
man in society.
● The narrative techniques become
objective and based on observation,

Naturalism are
documentation and testing.
● The descriptions of the settings and
characters are very detailed.
● Although the novels are very long,
the action that happens is very little
and simple; which can seem not
very attractive to contemporary
readers.
● It uses scientific lexicon.
Some of the most important compositions of this period
were: