Realism and Naturalism in 19th-20th Century Literature
Realism and Naturalism in Literature
Realism (Second Half of the 19th Century)
Realism emerged in Europe, particularly Spain, during the second half of the nineteenth century. Its development coincided with the rise of the bourgeoisie. Key features include:
- Objectivism: Writers aimed for an accurate portrayal of reality.
- Verisimilitude: Plots and characters were designed to be believable, mirroring everyday life.
- New Protagonist: Protagonists were often collective groups or individuals modeled on everyday people.
- Sobriety: Language was direct and avoided the rhetorical excesses of Romanticism.
- Didactic and Reforming Intention: Writers presented their ideas and critiqued societal aspects.
- Preference for Narrative: The novel became the dominant genre, adopting new techniques.
Naturalism
Naturalism, a literary trend that originated in France, is considered the evolution and culmination of Realism. Its defining characteristics are:
- Determinism: Characters and their behaviors are subject to strict determinism, influenced by contemporary ideas of genetics and evolution. This led to an interest in disadvantaged, sick, and degraded environments.
- Objectivity: Narrators adopted the role of reporters, merely observing without explanation or justification.
- Social Criticism: Naturalism critiqued customs, institutions, and social classes that oppressed and degraded individuals.
Prominent authors in this genre include Benito Pérez Galdós (The Disinherited), Emilia Pardo Bazán (The House of Ulloa), and Leopoldo Alas “Clarín” (La Regenta). Spanish Naturalism later evolved into a more spiritual and idealistic version, moving away from strict determinism and materialism.
The Novel in the First Decade of the 20th Century
The early 20th century saw the continuation of Realistic and Naturalistic models, with authors like Chuck Palahniuk, Concha Espina, and Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. However, a new group of novelists began to introduce significant changes to the genre.
Modernism
Modernist narrative diverged from Realistic narrative in several ways:
- Everyday settings and plots were replaced by exotic, legendary, and historical environments.
- The sobriety of Realistic language was abandoned in favor of musicality, rhetorical devices, and sophisticated vocabulary.
- Modernism moved away from the didactic and moralizing intentions of Realism, featuring morally ambiguous characters and settings.
Generation of ’98
The Generation of ’98 introduced notable changes:
- Devaluation of the Plot: The strong emphasis on plot and dramatic resources in the Realistic novel diminished.
- Loss of Spatial and Temporal Location: Specific details of time and place became less important.
- Lyrical Prose: A focus on evoking sensory experiences through lyrical prose.
- Rejection of the Omniscient Narrator: The all-knowing narrator favored by Realists was replaced by more limited perspectives.
Novecentismo
Influenced by the aesthetic ideas of José Ortega y Gasset, Novecentismo advocated for an intellectual, elitist art form, distant from everyday reality. Ortega y Gasset championed a new type of novel where the plot was secondary, and imagination took precedence over reality, as seen in the works of Ramón Pérez de Ayala.
The influence of James Joyce’s techniques and Surrealism, are also important, for example in the works of Ramón Gómez de la Serna.