Realism Notes

Literary Prizes 2025

  • Nobel Prize: László Krasznahorkai (Hungary) for his complete oeuvre.

  • Man Booker Prize: Flesh by David Szalay (Hungarian-British).

  • Women’s Prize for Fiction: The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Netherlands).

  • Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: James by Percival Everett.

Reading Assignments and Course Structure

  • Key Texts for Introduction:

    • “The Victorian Age” (NEL 507-529)

    • “American Literature 1865-1914” (NAL 2 2-20)

    • “Realism and Naturalism” (NAL 2 311-312)

  • Core Literature:

    • “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson (NEL 659-660; 726-727)

    • “Odour of Chrysanthemums” by D.H. Lawrence (NEL 1331-32; 1133-1345)

    • “Wessex Heights” by Thomas Hardy (CANVAS)

    • “To Build a Fire” by Jack London (NAL 2 593-604)

  • Additional Readings:

    • Excerpt from “The Art of Fiction” by Henry James (NAL 2 317-319)

    • Preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (NEL 950)

    • Excerpts from Dombey and Son and Hard Times by Charles Dickens (CANVAS)

Instructions for Week 24 Reading Assignment

  • Read introductory texts for the Realist period from both anthologies.

  • Compile a list of realist literature characteristics based on content and form.

  • Compare identified traits against those in “Realist Aesthetics” slides.

  • Validate realism in assigned texts with specific characteristics.

Realism
Context

  • 19th Century: Realism developed amidst cultural and literary shifts in British Isles and post-Civil War America.

  • Aesthetics:

    • Realism emphasized everyday life, opposing Romanticism that focused on imagination and myth.

    • Fully matured by the late 19th century.

Historical Framework

  • Victorian Britain (1837-1901): Significant socio-political reforms were tied to industrialization. Known as Britain's Golden Age and Age of Doubt.

    • Key events include the First Reform Bill (1832), victory at Waterloo (1815), and abolition of slavery (1838).

  • Post-Civil War America (1865-1914): Changes in literature reflected industrialization, urbanization, and evolving social norms.

Literary Themes of the Victorian Period

  • Victorian Britain: The Golden Age:

    • The Crystal Palace symbolized British industrialism during the 1851 Great Exhibition.

    • Urban industrialism thrived, influenced by the Industrial Revolution and rising literacy.

  • Victorian Britain: Age of Doubt:

    • Encountered social and environmental crises, compounded by scientific advances (e.g., Darwin).

    • Authors discussed moral issues, with Hardy addressing sexuality and hypocrisy.

Authors and Themes in Victorian Literature

  • Key Authors:

    • Charles Dickens: Noted for Oliver Twist and Great Expectations.

    • Thomas Hardy: Explored rural vs. industrial tensions in Tess of the d’Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure.

    • George Eliot: Focused on psychological complexity in society.

  • Key Themes:

    • Self-Scrutiny: Characters’ introspection and social critique.

    • Psychological Complexity: Navigating societal expectations vs. personal desires.

Drama and Other Literary Forms in the Victorian Era

  • Victorian Drama: Flourished with Wilde and Shaw critiquing social norms in major works like Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.

  • Other Literary Forms:

    • Aestheticism: Promoted 'art for art's sake,' rejecting morality in art (e.g., Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray).

    • Fantasy: Defined by Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

    • Sensation Novels: Illustrated by Stevenson’s Treasure Island and Collins’s The Woman in White.

Realism: Definitions and Characteristics

  • Defines a style representing typical life, contrasting idealization.

  • Key Terms:

    • Verisimilitude: Authentic portrayal of reality through ordinary characters and precise settings.

    • Focuses on real experiences and societal issues, rejecting romantic ideals.

Types of Realism

  1. Psychological Realism: Explores character consciousness and emotional depth (e.g., The Portrait of a Lady).

  2. Regionalism: Highlights unique cultural settings (e.g., The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn).

  3. Naturalism: Applies scientific principles to character-environment interaction (e.g., The Call of the Wild).

  4. Magical Realism: Integrates magical elements into realistic contexts.

  5. Surrealism: Breaks from realism, exploring dreams and subconscious.

Realist Examples

  • Literature Examples:

    • “To Build a Fire”: Depicts naturalism with survival in harsh conditions.

    • “Odour of Chrysanthemums”: Analyzes family and social class dynamics.

    • “Wessex Heights”: Uses landscapes as metaphors for personal and societal critique.

Narrative Structure and Techniques

  • Focalization: Perspectives that shape readers' understanding of events and characters.

  • Narratorial Voice: Variations in narrators reveal authorial intent and emotional depth.

Conclusion: Transition to Modernism

  • Victorian literature influences Modernism, marking a shift from straightforward narratives to fragmented, abstract representations in 20th-century works like Eliot's The Waste Land and Joyce's Ulysses.

Upcoming Reading Assignments for Weeks 26-27

  • Introduction to Modernism:

    • “The Twentieth Century and After” (NEL 1009-1036)

    • “American Literature 1914-1945” (NAL 2 618-644)

  • Selected Fiction and Poetry:

    • Excerpts from chapter 18 of Ulysses by James Joyce.

    • Works from William Faulkner and e.e. cummings.