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Realism and Naturalism

Realism and Naturalism. second half of 19 th Century. By 1840 Romanticism is worn out Variety of factors: political, economic, social, scientific, incidental (death of main Romantics) Rejection of the metaphysical / transcendental in favor of the epistemological

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Realism and Naturalism

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  1. Realism and Naturalism second half of 19th Century

  2. By 1840 Romanticism is worn out • Variety of factors: political, economic, social, scientific, incidental (death of main Romantics) • Rejection of the metaphysical / transcendental in favor of the epistemological • A new set of ethical, political, social challenges

  3. Romanticism

  4. Realism Gustave Caillebotte, “A Rainy Day” (1877)

  5. Realism • Reflection, mirror, reproduction • Emphasis on daily life • Objectivity • Representation of what is visible, observable • Urban • Middle classes • Well defined space and time (contemporary)

  6. Influences

  7. Auguste Comte (1798-1857) • Positivism • Rejection of metaphysics • Faith in observable and verifiable facts, natural laws • Belief in positive and material progress through science

  8. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) • Evolution • Survival of the fittest • Herbert Spencer: applied darwinism to social and political sphere 1859

  9. Hippolyte Taine • literary work informed by author’s: • race • environment • historical moment

  10. Karl Marx (1818-1883)

  11. Gustave Courbet • Aim: “to represent the customs, the ideas, the appearance of the times without prejudice or value judgment” • Represents humble, common figures Stone breakers (1840)

  12. Naturalism: Emile Zola (1840-1902) • principal theorist and practitioner of naturalism • art critic: supporter of impressionists • Rougon-Macquart series (20 volumes), including L’Assommoir • “J’Accuse” (1898), considered by some the most important newspaper article ever written • caricature that appeared in Punch Zola at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France

  13. Naturalism • Not a break with realism, but an extension of it. Takes from realism: • the representation of daily life, average characters (slice of life technique) • set in contemporary period • plots that progress by means of causality • the rejection of the fantastic and extraordinary • the attempt to reproduce real language • Basis on research

  14. Caillebotte, Floor Scrapers

  15. Naturalism • The Experimental Novel (1879),“: Application of the “scientific method” to literature: novel as a laboratory • Importance of hereditary and environmental determinism • Man seen as another animal (la bête humain) • A Godless universe • History, social and economic conditions shape protagonists • Collective protagonists • Includes all aspects of human experience (does not focus on the “beautiful”): sex, brutality, violence, crude language • Image of reality emphasizes the social injustices and defects: many readers saw in it a means of rebellion against the dominant classes T. Lautrec, Medical Inspection

  16. Germinal (1885) • Part of the Rougon-Macquart series (20 volumes): • History of two related families: • Rougons: upper middle-class • Macquarts: proletarian • Chronicles private and public lives during Second Empire • Deals with alcoholism, industrial confrontation, prostitution, etc. • Title taken from the French Revolutionary Calendar: first month of spring

  17. Beginning • landscape? • The mine (Le Voreux): forum • Village 240 • Étienne Lantier • Initial presentation/characterization (description, values, characteristics, narrator´s language/tone) of: • Bonnemort • Catherine • Zacharie • Jeanlin • Maheu • Maheude

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