Understanding Realism and Naturalism in 19th Century Literature
Realism and Naturalism in 19th Century Literature
Realism was an artistic movement that aimed to represent reality as faithfully and accurately as possible. It sought to depict life with maximum verisimilitude.
Origin and Evolution
Realism emerged in France during the first half of the nineteenth century as a reaction against Romanticism. Key figures included authors like Stendhal and Balzac. It developed into an independent movement with authors such as Flaubert, within the context of an urban and industrial society dominated by a rising bourgeois class.
In Spain, the realist movement began between 1870 and 1880. It influenced genres such as the historical novel and, above all, articles of manners, alongside aesthetic works and reflections by foreign novelists like Balzac, Dickens, and Tolstoy.
Naturalism, driven by Émile Zola, proposed applying the scientific method to literature in his book The Experimental Novel. The goal was to describe and analyze human beings as determined by their environment, historical moment, and biological inheritance. In Spain, writers often rejected this determinism and emphasized free will and humor.
Characteristics of Realism
- Realist writers relied on observation and documentation to reflect reality.
- Descriptions of places, people, and objects were explanatory and functional, characterizing and justifying the behavior of characters.
- Realistic language and expressions were used to reflect the geographical and social situation of the narrative world.
Themes in Realism
The conflict between the individual and society is a prominent theme in realistic narratives, often depicting the opposition between the individual and their environment. Society is often portrayed in conjunction with the private lives of the characters, who are usually numerous and represent a given social group, while also showcasing individual personalities who may rebel or fight against the status quo.
Clarín and His Work
Leopoldo Alas, known as Clarín, cultivated criticism, essays, novels, and short stories. His satirical, political, and literary production is notable. In his narrative work, elements of naturalism converge, such as observation and the interdependence between physiological psychology, religion, and spiritualist currents.
Short Stories
Clarín’s short stories can be divided into two types: those that predominantly express tenderness and those that are critically derisive.
La Regenta
La Regenta deals with the conflict in the search for ideal love within a mediocre and hostile environment, highlighting a lack of love and friendship.
Theme
The novel’s story revolves around a loving triangle between two men, Fermín de Pas and Álvaro Mesía, and a woman, Ana Ozores. The novel explores the theme of adultery, which was very present in the narrative of authors like Zola and Flaubert, whose influence on Clarín’s work is evident.
The narrative is organized around Ana Ozores and Fermín, and it covers the behavior and activities of the aristocracy, the clergy, and the bourgeoisie in a provincial city, where hypocrisy, ambition, immorality, and ignorance prevail.
Structure
The novel is structured in two parts:
- Part 1: The first 15 chapters develop over three days, introducing the characters, explaining and narrating their history, and describing the physical, social, religious, and ideological environment.
- Part 2: The final 15 chapters cover three years and include the history and development of the storyline, focusing on the fight for Ana, who, mired in her loneliness, is ultimately rejected by Fermín and the city.
Naturalistic elements are apparent, especially environmental determinism, which has marked the circumstances of La Regenta. The use of indirect free style is notable, and the narrator intervenes in the story with irony.