Realism and Naturalism (1850-1900)

Posted on Oct 12, 2024 in Social sciences

Historical and Cultural Framework in Europe

Compared to the Romantic era, key changes include:

  • The bourgeoisie solidified as the ruling class, shifting towards conservative positions due to their practicality and focus on reality.
  • The working class struggled to improve their living conditions.
  • Liberalism, both moderate and progressive, remained dominant. Revolutionary doctrines like socialism, communism, and anarchism (Marx’s Communist Manifesto: 1848) gained traction among workers.
  • Positivism challenged Romantic idealism, emphasizing observation and experience as the basis of truth. This led to the rise of the experimental method, sociology, and psychology, impacting literature.

Historical and Cultural Framework in Spain

Spain experienced social and political tensions during the latter half of the 19th century. Traditionalist sectors (nobility and clergy) remained powerful, while the rising bourgeoisie split into conservative and progressive factions. Democrats, Republicans, and worker revolutionary movements (socialists and anarchists – the PSOE was founded in 1879) emerged. Politically, a moderate trend prevailed until the 1868 revolution, which dethroned Isabel II and ushered in a progressive but turbulent period marked by a Carlist war. The Restoration of the Monarchy (1875: Alfonso XII) introduced a two-party system (Conservatives and Progressives) that proved ineffective. Culturally, clashes between traditionalism and progressivism reflected the “two Spains”.

Realism

Genesis

Mid-19th century France saw the rise of “Realist” artists aiming to reflect contemporary society, contrasting with Romantic fantasies. While often presented as the antithesis of Romanticism, this isn’t entirely accurate. Some Romantic writers incorporated realistic elements. The transition involved eliminating fantastical elements and sentimental excess while further developing the Romantic interest in nature, regionalism, and everyday life.

Features

  • Detailed and accurate portrayal of life, influenced by the experimental method, sociology, and psychology. Writers documented their surroundings, taking notes on environments, people, and their attire. This resulted in detailed descriptions of behavior and environments (Balzac, Dickens, Galdós) and characters, leading to the rise of the psychological novel (Flaubert, Dostoevsky).
  • Objective narration, with the writer acting as a chronicler.
  • Significant role of descriptions and environment types.
  • Sober style, with dialogue adapted to characters’ backgrounds, including popular speech.
  • The novel as the most suitable genre for realistic and naturalistic aims.

Naturalism

Naturalism, spearheaded by Émile Zola (1840-1902), added elements to Realism:

  • Materialism: Denying the spiritual aspect of humanity, considering feelings and ideals as products of the organism.
  • Determinism: Human behavior shaped by biological inheritance and social conditions.
  • Experimental method: Like scientists, novelists should experiment with characters in specific situations to demonstrate the influence of heredity and environment.

Literary consequences:

  1. Themes featuring “strong” basic passions and characters like morons, alcoholics, and psychopaths, whose behavior is determined by genetic tendencies and environment.
  2. Realism’s observation and documentation methods taken further, with precise speech reproduction.

Poetry and Theater of the Realistic Age

Poetry

Bécquer and Rosalía de Castro, studied within Romanticism, produced exceptional work. The realist bourgeois mentality didn’t favor lyric poetry. Campoamor’s prose, with its skeptical irony and sentimentality, and Núñez de Arce’s rhetorical style with civic and philosophical pretensions, were more characteristic. Campoamor (1817-1901) gained fame with his short poems. Núñez de Arce (1834-1903) wrote grandiloquent poems on civic themes.

Theater

The theater of this era is less significant, except for Galdós’s work. Romantic elements persisted, with José Echegaray (1832-1916) achieving success with high-sounding dramas. “High comedy”, addressing contemporary issues with a didactic approach and sober language, reflected realistic tastes. Playwrights like López de Ayala and Tamayo y Baus cultivated this genre.

Major Spanish Realist Authors

  • “Fernán Caballero” (1796-1877): Pseudonym of Cecilia Böhl de Faber. Cultivated Andalusian customs with sentimental and moralistic approaches. Her novel La Gaviota (1849) stands out. She and Pedro Antonio de Alarcón represent a transition from Romanticism to Realism.
  • Pedro Antonio de Alarcón (1833-1891): Romantic elements persist in his novels like El escándalo (1875). El sombrero de tres picos (1874) is a gem of the Spanish novella.
  • Juan Valera (1824-1905): His masterpiece, Pepita Jiménez (1874), explores the conflict between religious vocation and human desire. He avoids the harshest aspects of reality, employing subtle irony and psychological insight, particularly in female characters.
  • José María de Pereda (1833-1906): Celebrated traditional rural life, exalting nature and the simple people of his region. Sotileza (1885) and Peñas arriba (1895) feature outstanding landscape descriptions.
  • Armando Palacio Valdés (1853-1937): Celebrated traditional virtues, contrasting them with progress. La aldea perdida (1903) depicts the negative impact of mining on a previously idyllic valley.
  • Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851-1921): Influenced by Naturalism, she explored tough social environments and violent passions. Los Pazos de Ulloa and La madre naturaleza (1886-1887) depict Galician life.
  • Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (1867-1928): Close to Naturalism, he shared Zola’s interest in sordid environments and hereditary defects. He captured the Valencian landscape in novels like La Barraca (1894) and Cañas y barro (1902).

The two most prominent realists: Galdós and Clarín.

European Realist Authors

French Authors

  • Stendhal (1783-1842): Known for psychological studies of characters. His work anticipates Realism. Major novels: The Charterhouse of Parma, The Red and the Black.
  • Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850): Portrayed a society driven by money. The Human Comedy depicts various strata of French society.
  • Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880): Author of Madame Bovary. Known for his meticulous style.
  • Émile Zola (1840-1902): Leading representative of Naturalism. Developed the “experimental novel”. The Rougon-Macquart series depicts a French family during the Second Empire.

British Authors

  • Charles Dickens (1812-1870): Master of narrative, often featuring children as protagonists. Notable works: The Pickwick Papers, David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist.

Russian Authors

  • Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881): Known for psychological insight and compassionate portrayal of human suffering. Notable works: The Idiot, Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov.
  • Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910): His work reflects humanitarianism, social justice, and love for the humble. Notable works: War and Peace, Anna Karenina.