The emergence of realism
In the 30s of the XIX century. Realism is becoming widespread in literature and art. The development of realism is primarily associated with the names of Stendhal and Balzac in France, Pushkin and Gogol in Russia, Heine and Buchner in Germany. Realism develops initially in the depths of romanticism and bears the stamp of the latter; not only Pushkin and Heine, but also Balzac experienced a strong fascination in their youth romantic literature. However, unlike romantic art, realism refuses the idealization of reality and the associated predominance of the fantastic element, as well as an increased interest in the subjective side of man. In realism, the prevailing tendency is to depict a broad social background against which the lives of the heroes take place (“ Human Comedy"Balzac, "Eugene Onegin" by Pushkin, " Dead souls"Gogol, etc.). Depth of understanding social life Realist artists sometimes surpass the philosophers and sociologists of their time.
Stages of development of realism of the 19th century
The formation of critical realism occurs in European countries and in Russia almost at the same time - in the 20s - 40s of the 19th century. It is becoming a leading trend in the literature of the world.
True, this simultaneously means that the literary process of this period is irreducible only in a realistic system. And in European literatures, and - in particular - the activity of romantic writers continues in full in US literature. Thus, development literary process goes largely through the interaction of coexisting aesthetic systems, and the characterization of both national literatures and the work of individual writers presupposes mandatory consideration of this circumstance.
Speaking of the fact that from the 30s - 40s leading place realist writers occupy a place in literature, it is impossible not to note that realism itself turns out to be not a frozen system, but a phenomenon located in constant development. Already within the 19th century, the need arises to talk about “different realisms”, that Merimee, Balzac and Flaubert equally answered the main historical questions that the era suggested to them, and at the same time their works are distinguished by different content and originality forms.
In the 1830s - 1840s, the most remarkable features of realism as a literary movement that gives a multifaceted picture of reality, striving for an analytical study of reality, appear in the works of European writers (primarily Balzac).
The literature of the 1830s and 1840s was largely fueled by statements about the attractiveness of the century itself. Love for 19th century shared, for example, by Stendhal and Balzac, who never ceased to be amazed by its dynamism, diversity and inexhaustible energy. Hence the heroes of the first stage of realism - active, with an inventive mind, not afraid of facing unfavorable circumstances. These heroes were largely associated with the heroic era of Napoleon, although they perceived his two-facedness, developed a strategy for their personal and social behavior. Scott and his historicism inspire Stendhal's heroes to find their place in life and history through mistakes and delusions. Shakespeare makes Balzac say about the novel “Père Goriot” in the words of the great Englishman “Everything is true” and see echoes of the harsh fate of King Lear in the fate of the modern bourgeois.
Realists second half of the 19th century centuries will reproach their predecessors for “residual romanticism.” It is difficult to disagree with such a reproach. Indeed, the romantic tradition is very noticeably represented in the creative systems of Balzac, Stendhal, and Merimee. It is no coincidence that Sainte-Beuve called Stendhal “the last hussar of romanticism.” Traits of romanticism are revealed
– in the cult of exoticism (Mérimée’s short stories like “ Matteo Falcone", "Carmen", "Tamango", etc.);
– in the writers’ predilection for depicting bright individuals and passions that are exceptional in their strength (Stendhal’s novel “Red and Black” or the short story “Vanina Vanini”);
– a passion for adventurous plots and the use of fantasy elements (Balzac’s novel “ Shagreen leather"or Merimee's short story "Venus of Il");
– in an effort to clearly divide heroes into negative and positive – carriers of the author’s ideals (Dickens’s novels).
Thus, between the realism of the first period and romanticism there is a complex “family” connection, manifested, in particular, in the inheritance of techniques and even individual themes and motifs characteristic of romantic art (the theme of lost illusions, the motif of disappointment, etc.).
In Russian historical and literary science, “the revolutionary events of 1848 and the important changes that followed them in the socio-political and cultural life bourgeois society" is considered to be what divides "realism foreign countries XIX century into two stages - realism of the first and second half of the 19th century" ("History foreign literature XIX century / Edited by Elizarova M.E. – M., 1964). In 1848, popular protests turned into a series of revolutions that swept across Europe (France, Italy, Germany, Austria, etc.). These revolutions, as well as the unrest in Belgium and England, followed the “French model”, as democratic protests against a class-privileged government that did not meet the needs of the time, as well as under the slogans of social and democratic reforms. Overall, 1848 marked one huge upheaval in Europe. True, as a result of it, moderate liberals or conservatives came to power everywhere, and in some places even a more brutal authoritarian government was established.
This caused general disappointment in the results of the revolutions, and, as a consequence, pessimistic sentiments. Many representatives of the intelligentsia became disillusioned with mass movements, active actions of the people on a class basis and transferred their main efforts to the private world of the individual and personal relationships. Thus, the general interest was directed towards the individual, important in itself, and only secondarily - towards his relationships with other individuals and the world around him.
The second half of the 19th century is traditionally considered the “triumph of realism.” By this time, realism was loudly making itself known in the literature of not only France and England, but also a number of other countries - Germany (late Heine, Raabe, Storm, Fontane), Russia (" natural school", Turgenev, Goncharov, Ostrovsky, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky), etc.
At the same time, since the 50s it begins new stage in the development of realism, which involves a new approach to the depiction of both the hero and the society around him. The social, political and moral atmosphere of the second half of the 19th century “turned” writers towards the analysis of a person who can hardly be called a hero, but in whose fate and character the main signs of the era are refracted, expressed not in a major deed, a significant act or passion, compressed and intensely conveying global shifts of time, not in large-scale (both social and psychological) confrontation and conflict, not in typicality taken to the limit, often bordering on exclusivity, but in everyday, everyday life. Writers who began working at this time, as well as those who entered literature earlier but worked during this period, for example, Dickens or Thackeray, certainly were guided by a different concept of personality. Thackeray’s novel “The Newcombs” emphasizes the specificity of “human studies” in the realism of this period - the need to understand and analytically reproduce multidirectional subtle mental movements and indirect, not always manifested social connections: “It’s hard to even imagine how many various reasons determines our every action or passion, how often, when analyzing my motives, I mistook one thing for another...” This phrase by Thackeray conveys, perhaps, main feature realism of the era: everything focuses on the depiction of man and character, and not circumstances. Although the latter, as they should in realistic literature, “do not disappear,” their interaction with character acquires a different quality, associated with the fact that circumstances cease to be independent, they become more and more characterologized; their sociological function is now more implicit than it was with Balzac or Stendhal.
Due to the changed concept of personality and the “human-centrism” of the whole artistic system(and “man is the center” was not necessarily positive hero, defeating social circumstances or perishing - morally or physically - in the fight against them) one may get the impression that the writers of the second half of the century abandoned the basic principle of realistic literature: dialectical understanding and depiction of the relationships between character and circumstances and adherence to the principle of socio-psychological determinism. Moreover, some of the most prominent realists of this time - Flaubert, J. Eliot, Trollott - when talking about the world surrounding the hero, the term “environment” appears, often perceived more statically than the concept of “circumstances”.
An analysis of the works of Flaubert and J. Eliot convinces us that artists need this “stacking” of the environment primarily so that the description of the situation surrounding the hero is more plastic. The environment often narratively exists in the inner world of the hero and through him, acquiring a different character of generalization: not poster-sociologized, but psychologized. This creates an atmosphere of greater objectivity in what is being reproduced. In any case, from the point of view of the reader, who trusts such an objectified narrative about the era more, since he perceives the hero of the work as a person close to him, just like himself.
Writers of this period do not at all forget about one more aesthetic setting of critical realism - the objectivity of what is reproduced. As you know, Balzac was so concerned about this objectivity that he was looking for ways to bring closer literary knowledge(understanding) and scientific. This idea appealed to many realists of the second half of the century. For example, Eliot and Flaubert thought a lot about the use of scientific, and therefore, as it seemed to them, objective methods of analysis in literature. Flaubert thought especially a lot about this, who understood objectivity as synonymous with impartiality and impartiality. However, this was the spirit of the entire realism of the era. Moreover, the work of realists in the second half of the 19th century occurred during the period of takeoff in the development of natural sciences and the heyday of experimentation.
This was an important period in the history of science. Biology developed rapidly (C. Darwin’s book “The Origin of Species” was published in 1859), physiology, and the formation of psychology as a science took place. The philosophy of positivism by O. Comte became widespread, and later played an important role in the development of naturalistic aesthetics and artistic practice. It was during these years that attempts were made to create a system of psychological understanding of man.
However, even at this stage of the development of literature, the character of the hero is not conceived by the writer outside of social analysis, although the latter acquires a slightly different aesthetic essence, different from that which was characteristic of Balzac and Stendhal. Of course, in Flaubert's novels. Eliot, Fontana and some others are striking " new level images of a person’s inner world, a qualitatively new skill psychological analysis, which consists in the deepest revelation of the complexity and unforeseenness of human reactions to reality, the motives and causes of human activity" (History of World Literature. Vol. 7. - M., 1990).
It is obvious that the writers of this era sharply changed the direction of creativity and led literature (and the novel in particular) towards in-depth psychologism, and in the formula “social-psychological determinism” the social and psychological seemed to change places. It is in this direction that the main achievements of literature are concentrated: writers began not only to draw complex inner world literary hero, but to reproduce a well-functioning, thoughtful psychological “character model”, in it and in its functioning, artistically combining the psychological-analytical and social-analytical. Writers updated and revived the principle of psychological detail, introduced dialogue with deep psychological overtones, and found narrative techniques for conveying “transitional,” contradictory spiritual movements that were previously inaccessible to literature.
This does not mean that realistic literature abandoned social analysis: social basis reproduced reality and reconstructed character did not disappear, although it did not dominate the character and circumstances. It was thanks to the writers of the second half of the 19th century that literature began to find indirect ways of social analysis, in this sense continuing a series of discoveries made by writers of previous periods.
Flaubert, Eliot, the Goncourt brothers and others “taught” literature to reach out to the social and what is characteristic of the era, characterizes its social, political, historical and moral principles, through the ordinary and everyday existence of an ordinary person. Social typification among writers of the second half of the century is the typification of “mass appearance, repetition” (History of World Literature. Vol. 7. - M., 1990). It is not as bright and obvious as among representatives of classical critical realism of the 1830s - 1840s and most often manifests itself through the “parabola of psychologism”, when immersion in the inner world of a character allows you to ultimately immerse yourself in the era, in historical time, as seen by writer. Emotions, feelings, and moods are not transtemporal, but of a specific historical nature, although it is primarily ordinary everyday existence that is subject to analytical reproduction, and not the world of titanic passions. At the same time, writers often even absolutized the dullness and wretchedness of life, the triviality of the material, the unheroic nature of time and character. That is why, on the one hand, it was an anti-romantic period, on the other, a period of craving for the romantic. This paradox, for example, is characteristic of Flaubert, the Goncourts, and Baudelaire.
There is one more important point, associated with the absolutization of the imperfection of human nature and slavish subordination to circumstances: often writers perceived the negative phenomena of the era as a given, as something insurmountable, and even tragically fatal. That is why in the works of realists of the second half of the 19th century the positive principle is so difficult to express: the problem of the future interests them little, they are “here and now”, in their time, comprehending it in an extremely impartial manner, as an era, if worthy of analysis, then critical.
As noted earlier, critical realism is a literary movement on a global scale. Another notable feature of realism is that it has a long history. IN late XIX and in the 20th centuries, the work of such writers as R. Rolland, D. Golusorsi, B. Shaw, E. M. Remarque, T. Dreiser and others gained worldwide fame. Realism continues to exist to this day, remaining the most important form of world democratic culture.
Critical realism- direction and art of a number of countries in Europe and America, which arose in mid-19th V. At the same time, realism appeared in France as important concept aesthetic thought.
Critical realism focused on direct image everyday life people, mostly poor and disadvantaged, contrasted with the wealthy and idle sections of the population. The first signs of critical realism can be seen in the paintings of the Italian Michelangelo Caravaggio and his followers - the “Caravaggists”, who showed at the end of the 16th and 17th centuries. keen interest in the life of the lower classes - beggars, vagabonds, robbers, often depicted in fascinating romantic and adventurous guises (painting by Salvatore Rosa, Alessandro Magnasco in Italy). In the 17th century Dutchman Jan Steen, in the 18th century. Italians Jacopo Ceruti and Gaspare Travers tried to portray without embellishment the unsightly aspects of the everyday life of their contemporaries. Artists of the Enlightenment of the 18th century. (William Cogart in England.) criticized the social foundations of society of those years from the point of view of reason and justice. The analysis was especially sharp and fearless social contradictions in etchings and paintings Francisco Goya in Spain at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. In painting and graphics of the 1st half of the 19th century. ( Theodore Gericault, Eugene Delacroix in France) reflected with energy and passion dramatic conflicts everyday reality. Actually, social criticism became the dominant principle in the work of graphic artists of the 2nd thirds of the XIX V. - Honore Daumier, Fields of Gavarnie, Jean-Isidore Granville who turned to close study and analysis of deep social contradictions. Generalized images of the social forces of their time were created in the 19th century. artists Alexander Dekan, Gustave Courbet , Jean-Francois Mill e in France, Constantin Meunier in Belgium. Adolf Menzel, Wilhelm Leibl in Germany, Mihaly Munkacsi in Hungary. In Russia, critical realism became widespread already in the middle of the 19th century. Image " little man", which arose in the works of A. S. Pushkin, I. V. Gogol, was embodied in genre scenes P. A. Fedotov, in cartoons and illustrations by A. A. Agin, P. M. Boklevsky, N. A. Stepanov, P. M. Shmelkov, A. I. Lebedev. In the 2nd half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. Itinerant artists made critical realism the main method of their art. V. G. Perov, G. G. Myasoedov, V. E. Makovsky, N. A. Yaroshenko, I. E. Repin, A. E. Arkhipov, N. A. Kasatkin, L. V. Popov in their paintings criticized the unjust social structure, following literature (I. S. Turgenev, L. N. Tolstoy, F. M. Dostoevsky. A. P. Chekhov). The traditions of critical realism - satirical denunciation and analysis of the social situation - were resurrected every now and then in Soviet era: in the satirical graphics of Kukryniksov, B.I. Prorokov, L.V. Soyfertis, in the painting of E.M. Cheptsov, S.A. Adlivankin, S.V. Nikritin, G.M. Korzhev, and at the end of the 20th century. in sarcastic art sots art .
Realism
“We are not talking about the search for “absolute” beauty here. The artist is neither the history of painting nor its soul... And that is why he should not be considered either a moralist or a writer. He should be judged simply as an artist.”
Thomas Eakins became the most famous realist painter in the United States by incorporating photographic studies into his work and revealing the nature of his subjects through careful observation. The Gross Clinic (1875), a portrait of Dr. Samuel Gross performing invasive surgery in an operating room, is depicted in incredible detail. His choice modern subject(surgery) follows the realistic belief that the artist must be of his time.
The German realist Wilhelm Leibl met Courbet and saw his work when French artist visited Germany in 1869. Recognizing his abilities, Courbet lured him back to Paris, where Label achieved significant success and also met Manet before returning to Munich to establish himself as his country's first realist artist. He is best known for his depictions of peasant scenes such as Three Women in a Church (1881), which brought the frank naturalism of the Dutch and German Old Masters into modern era. Although the clothes worn by these people are somewhat outdated three women indicates their low economic status (the new trends of the city have passed them by), the Label ennobles them with patience and modesty.
"Christina's World", created by one of the presenters American artists of that time, is among the most famous American paintings mid-20th century. It depicts a woman lying on a field, looking at a gray house on the horizon. The woman in the painting is Anna Christina Olson. She was Wyeth's neighbor in South Cushing, Maine, and suffered from muscle degeneration that left her unable to walk. Wyeth was inspired to create the masterpiece when he saw her crawling across the field from the window. Despite the fact that the first showing received little attention, the popularity of Christina's World grew over the years. The painting is now considered an icon of American art and one of the most important works of American realism.
4. “The Ear Pickers”
French name: Des glaneuses
Artist: Jean-Francois Millet
Year: 1857
Jean-François Millet's most famous works are his trio of paintings that depict humble peasants in an unprecedentedly heroic and compassionate manner. "Ear of grain pickers" - the most famous of three paintings, and she influenced several later artists, including Pissarro, Renoir, Seurat and Van Gogh. It depicts three peasant women gleaning or collecting remnants from a field of scattered grains after the harvest. Portraying the lowest stratum of rural society in a sympathetic light, the painting was heavily criticized by the French upper classes when first shown. The painting measures 33 by 44 inches (84 x 112 cm) and was main subject dispute, since such a huge size was usually reserved for religious or mythological stories.
3. "Funeral in Ornans"
French name: Un enterrement à Ornans
Artist: Gustave Courbet
Year: 1850
This painting depicts the funeral of Gustave Courbet's great-uncle in the small town of Ornans in France. Courbet "painted those people who were present at the funeral, all the townspeople." "Funeral at Ornans" caused a storm at the first exhibition at the Paris Salon of 1850-1851. Firstly, it is a huge work, measuring 10 by 22 feet (305 x 671 cm); such a huge scale was traditionally reserved for heroic or religious scenes historical painting; secondly, its ugly realism without any sentimental narrative shocked the art world. Initially condemned by critics, Funeral at Ornans was one of the main works that moved the public away from romanticism and towards a new realistic approach. It is considered one of the main turning points French art 19th century, and Courbet said: “The Funeral at Ornans was in reality the burial of Romanticism.”
2. Night Owls
Artist: Edward Hopper
Year: 1942
Edward Hopper known for revealing the loneliness of modern life and forcing the viewer to take a more active role in completing the narrative of the works. This painting of people at a downtown diner late at night was inspired by a restaurant on Greenwich Avenue near the artist's home in Manhattan. It was interpreted as an illustration negative influence World War II, and as a depiction of the isolation of the individual against the backdrop of the bustle of New York. The most famous work Hopper, Night Owls is one of the most recognizable paintings of American art. She influenced many future American artists and is widely referenced and parodied in popular culture.
1. Olympia
Artist: Edouard Manet
Year: 1863
Edouard Manet, although often considered an impressionist, called himself a realist. His early works include some of the most significant works of realism, among which is Olympia. The painting depicts a reclining nude woman being served by a maid. When it was first exhibited at the 1865 Paris Salon, it caused enormous controversy; not because of Olympia's nudity, but because there are several details in the painting that indicate she is a prostitute. These include: an orchid in the hair, a bracelet, pearl earrings and an oriental scarf on which it lies. In addition, the painting contains a black cat, which traditionally symbolized prostitution. Olympia was inspired by Titian's Venus of Urbino and several other paintings; but unlike these works, he did not depict a goddess or a court lady, but a high-class prostitute. The most famous aspect of the painting is Olympia's defiant gaze; which is often cited as the pinnacle of defiance against patriarchy. Manet's Olympia is the most famous painting realism and perhaps the most famous nude figure of the 19th century.
From: Sholokhova E., -
The second half of the 19th century is characterized by the emergence of such a movement as realism. It followed immediately after the romanticism that appeared in the first half of this century, but at the same time was radically different from it. Realism in literature demonstrated a typical person in a typical situation and tried to reflect reality as plausibly as possible.
Main features of realism
Realism has a certain set of characteristics that show differences from the romanticism that preceded it and from the naturalism that follows it.1. Typing way. The object of a work in realism is always an ordinary person with all his advantages and disadvantages. Accuracy in depicting details characteristic of a person, here key rule realism. However, the authors do not forget about such nuances as individual characteristics, and they are harmoniously woven into the whole image. This distinguishes realism from romanticism, where the character is individual.
2. Typification of the situation. The situation in which the hero of the work finds himself must be characteristic of the time being described. A unique situation is more characteristic of naturalism.
3. Precision in the image. Realists have always described the world as it was, reducing the author's worldview to a minimum. The romantics acted completely differently. The world in their works was demonstrated through the prism of their own worldview.
4. Determinism. The situation in which the heroes of the works of realists find themselves is only the result of actions committed in the past. The characters are shown in development, which is shaped by the world around them. Interpersonal relationships play a key role in this. The personality of the character and his actions are influenced by many factors: social, religious, moral and others. Often in a work there is a development and change in personality under the influence of social and everyday factors.
5. Conflict: hero - society. This conflict is not unique. It is also characteristic of the movements that preceded realism: classicism and romanticism. However, only realism considers the most typical situations. He is interested in the relationship between the crowd and the individual, the consciousness of the mass and the individual.
6. Historicism. Literature in the 19th century demonstrates man inseparably from his environment and period of history. The authors studied the lifestyle and norms of behavior in society at a certain stage before writing your works.
History of origin
It is believed that already in the Renaissance, realism began to emerge. Heroes characteristic of realism include such large-scale images as Don Quixote, Hamlet and others. During this period, a person represents the crown of creation, which is not typical for more later periods its development. During the Age of Enlightenment, educational realism appeared. The main character is a hero from the bottom.In the 1830s, people from the circle of romantics formed realism as a new literary direction. They strive not to depict the world in all its diversity and abandon the two worlds familiar to romantics.
Already by the 40s, critical realism became the leading direction. However, on initial stage After the formation of this literary movement, the newly minted realists still use the residual features characteristic of romanticism.
These include:
cult of esotericism;
depiction of bright atypical personalities;
use of fantasy elements;
segregation of heroes into positive and negative.
That is why the realism of writers of the first half of the century was often criticized by writers of the late 19th century. However, it is at an early stage that the main features of this direction are formed. First of all, this is a conflict characteristic of realism. In the literature of former romantics, the opposition between man and society is clearly visible.
In the second half of the 19th century, realism acquired new forms. And it’s not for nothing that this period is called the “triumph of realism.” The social and political situation contributed to the fact that the authors began to study human nature, as well as his behavior in certain situations. Social connections between individuals began to play a large role.
The science of that time had a huge influence on the development of realism. Darwin's Origin of Species is published in 1859. Kant's positivist philosophy also contributes to artistic practice. Realism in XIX literature century acquires an analytical, studying character. At the same time, writers refuse to analyze the future; it was of little interest to them. The emphasis was on modernity, which became the key theme of the reflection of critical realism.
Main representatives
Realism in the literature of the 19th century left many brilliant works. By the first half of the century, Stendhal, O. Balzac, and Merimee were creating. They were the ones who were criticized by their followers. Their works have a subtle connection with romanticism. For example, the realism of Merimee and Balzac is permeated with mysticism and esotericism, Dickens's heroes are bright bearers of one expressed character trait or quality, and Stendhal portrayed bright personalities.Later, G. Flaubert, M. Twain, T. Mann, M. Twain, and W. Faulkner were involved in the development of the creative method. Each author added individual characteristics to his works. IN Russian literature realism is represented by the works of F. M. Dostoevsky, L. N. Tolstoy and A. S. Pushkin.
Realism in literature is a direction whose main feature is a truthful depiction of reality and its typical features without any distortion or exaggeration. This originated in the 19th century, and its adherents sharply opposed sophisticated forms of poetry and the use of various mystical concepts in works.
Signs directions
Realism in 19th-century literature can be distinguished by clear characteristics. The main one is artistic image reality in images familiar to the average person, which he regularly encounters in real life. Reality in the works is considered as a means for a person to understand the world around him and himself, and the image of each literary character is worked out in such a way that the reader can recognize himself, a relative, colleague or acquaintance in it.
In the novels and stories of realists, art remains life-affirming, even if the plot is characterized by tragic conflict. Another feature of this genre is the desire of writers to consider surrounding reality in its development, and each writer tries to discover the emergence of new psychological, social and social relations.
Features of this literary movement
Realism in literature, which replaced romanticism, has the signs of art that seeks and finds truth, striving to transform reality.
In the works of realist writers, discoveries were made after much thought and dreaming, after analyzing subjective worldviews. This feature, which can be distinguished by the author’s perception of time, determined the distinctive features of realistic literature of the early twentieth century from traditional Russian classics.
Realism inXIX century
Such representatives of realism in literature as Balzac and Stendhal, Thackeray and Dickens, George Sand and Victor Hugo, in their works most clearly reveal the themes of good and evil, and avoid abstract concepts and show real life of their contemporaries. These writers make it clear to readers that evil lies in the lifestyle of bourgeois society, capitalist reality, and people’s dependence on various material values. For example, in Dickens's novel Dombey and Son, the owner of the company was heartless and callous not by nature. It’s just that he developed such character traits due to the presence big money and the ambition of the owner, for whom profit becomes the main achievement in life.
Realism in literature is devoid of humor and sarcasm, and the images of the characters are no longer the ideal of the writer himself and do not embody him cherished dreams. From the works of the 19th century, the hero practically disappears, in whose image the author’s ideas are visible. This situation is especially clearly visible in the works of Gogol and Chekhov.
However, this literary trend is most clearly manifested in the works of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, who describe the world as they see it. This was expressed in the image of characters with their own strengths and weaknesses, the description of mental torment, a reminder to readers of the harsh reality that cannot be changed by one person.
As a rule, realism in literature also affected the fate of representatives of the Russian nobility, as can be judged from the works of I. A. Goncharov. Thus, the characters of the heroes in his works remain contradictory. Oblomov is a sincere and gentle person, but due to his passivity he is not capable of better things. Another character in Russian literature has similar qualities - the weak-willed but gifted Boris Raisky. Goncharov managed to create the image of an “anti-hero” typical of the 19th century, which was noticed by critics. As a result, the concept of “Oblomovism” appeared, referring to all passive characters whose main features were laziness and lack of will.
Realism is usually called a movement in art and literature, whose representatives strived for a realistic and truthful reproduction of reality. In other words, the world was portrayed as typical and simple, with all its advantages and disadvantages.
General features of realism
Realism in literature is distinguished by a number of common features. Firstly, life was depicted in images that corresponded to reality. Secondly, reality for representatives of this movement has become a means of understanding themselves and the world around them. Thirdly, the images on the pages literary works were distinguished by the truthfulness of details, specificity and typification. It is interesting that the art of the realists, with their life-affirming principles, sought to consider reality in development. Realists discovered new social and psychological relationships.
The emergence of realism
Realism in literature as a form artistic creation arose during the Renaissance, developed during the Enlightenment and emerged as an independent movement only in the 30s of the 19th century. The first realists in Russia include the great Russian poet A.S. Pushkin (he is sometimes even called the founder of this movement) and no less outstanding writer N.V. Gogol with his novel “Dead Souls”. Regarding literary criticism, then within its limits the term “realism” appeared thanks to D. Pisarev. It was he who introduced the term into journalism and criticism. Realism in the literature of the 19th century became a distinctive feature of that time, having its own characteristics and characteristics.
Features of literary realism
Representatives of realism in literature are numerous. The most famous and outstanding writers include such writers as Stendhal, Charles Dickens, O. Balzac, L.N. Tolstoy, G. Flaubert, M. Twain, F.M. Dostoevsky, T. Mann, M. Twain, W. Faulkner and many others. All of them worked on the development of the creative method of realism and embodied in their works its most striking features in inextricable connection with their unique authorial characteristics.