Understanding Realism and Naturalism: Key Concepts and Figures
Realism in 19th Century Literature
Realism: This artistic trend, prominent in the mid-nineteenth century, particularly in pictorial and literary arts, is defined by its commitment to representing reality as it is, without embellishment. The influence of scientism and the emergence of photography were major factors in shaping realistic aesthetics.
Origin and Expansion
Realism emerged in France around 1830 with the publication of Stendhal’s The Red and the Black, considered the first realist novel. It quickly spread throughout Europe. A notable early representative of nineteenth-century realism in Catalonia was Ramon Martí Alsina.
Characteristics of Realism
The core principle of realism is that art should faithfully represent the real world. This objective is pursued in two main directions:
Environments
Realism reflects contemporary society and explores social classes that had previously been neglected in narrative, such as the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
Psychology of Characters
Realism involves a thorough analysis of the nature and behavior of characters.
- Realism presents societal problems to address and potentially resolve them.
- It strives for objectivity and adopts an impartial approach.
- Realism eliminates rhetoric in both the author’s style and the characters’ dialogues. Characters speak in a colloquial manner appropriate to their social class.
Naturalism in 19th Century Literature
Naturalism: The term appeared as a synonym for realism around 1860. Émile Zola developed a comprehensive theory of naturalism, based on his works Le Roman expérimental (The Experimental Novel) and Les Romanciers naturalistes (The Naturalist Novelists).
Concept of Naturalism
According to Zola, naturalism should serve as a method for transcribing and studying human behavior.
Features of Naturalism
- Determinism: Naturalism posits that individuals are not free to decide their fate but are determined by two factors: biological inheritance and social environment.
- Positivism: The naturalist novelist experiments with their characters, placing them in specific situations to observe how their actions are influenced by heredity and environment.
- Socialism: Naturalism often presents a socialist and anti-bourgeois ideology.
- Marginality: Naturalistic works frequently feature characters with significant problems and diseases to highlight human instincts, often referred to as “the human beast.”
- Observation and Documentation: Naturalism takes the realist approach to its extreme. Zola, to achieve maximum accuracy, meticulously documented his observations.
Expansion Outside France
Outside of France, naturalism did not find pure followers. Each culture adapted the movement in its own way.
Narcís Oller: A Catalan Realist
Born in Valls on August 10, 1846, Narcís Oller was familiar with classical Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, and French literature, as well as French, German, and Spanish Romanticism.
He also engaged with satirical and humorous press alongside his cousin, Josep Yxart.
In 1868, he moved to Barcelona, where he completed his law degree in 1871.
In 1874, he married Esperança Rabassa, with whom he had four children. He began writing fiction in Spanish shortly after working in the Barcelona Provincial Council.
In 1877, he met Antoni Aulèstia, Emili Vilanova, and Àngel Guimerà, who had founded the magazine La Renaixença, and he attended the Jocs Florals (Floral Games).
In 1878, he wrote his first story in Catalan, “La pagesia” (The Peasantry), with Yxart. In 1879, he published his first book, Croquis del natural (Sketches of Nature), a collection of stories that presented realistic elements along with romantic critiques and earned praise.
In his literary memoir, Oller stated that while art must be based on reality, what has been discovered is the large contingent of poetry. He therefore assumed the overall aesthetic of realism and naturalism and became an advocate of the theory of verisimilitude.
In 1882, Oller’s first novel, La papallona (The Butterfly), was published at the behest of J. Sardà. Although Oller intended to create a realistic work, only some of its elements can be considered as such: the detailed portrait of the urban context, accuracy, and temporal behavior analysis of the characters. Neither the subject nor the moralism are unrealistic.
In 1883, he published his second collection of stories, Notes de color (Color Notes), which included unpublished works and others that had been announced previously. In 1884, he received a new award at the Jocs Florals.
In 1886, Oller and his cousin Yxart traveled to Paris, where he met some of the most representative figures of French literature. In 1888, he published a book of short stories, Totes les colors (All Colors), and between 1890 and 1891, he published three volumes of La febre d’or (The Gold Rush). The 1890s were a period full of uncertainty and confusion for Oller, marked by the deaths of Joan Yxart and Sardà.
Published in 1897, Figures de paisatge (Figure and Landscape) is a book of short stories that moves into modernism.