The meaning and background of Realism, a global literary movement

Abstract

Abstract:

Realism is a colossal literary movement that exercises seismic impact on world literature. The Post World War II literature, specifically the French witnessed a marked interest in the depiction of the wretched state of the marginalized and deprived classes of the contemporary society. Thus, then onward, literature began to spotlight the real events of ordinary life instead of portraying the idealized worlds of imagination. In fact, it was a strong reaction to counter the extravagances of the Romantic Movement.  As said earlier, Realism strongly advocated the delineation of the real and mundane life; thus leaving no space for the ideal and unreal. It stressed that instead of obliterating human experiences in the haze of the dead past, literature must solely devote itself to the representation of the present and the now – the real and actual. Like other great literary movements, Realism too has its origins in the fertile French soil. Balzac and Flaubert are considered –and rightly-the pioneers of Realism in France.  Other prominent realists who have substantially contributed to Realism are Maxim Gorky and Vladimir Dostoevsky in Russia, Hermann Hesse and Franz Kafka in Germany and Milan Kundera in Czech Republic. In contemporary times, George Lucas is a frontline realist. This research presents the definition and historical background of Realism to see how it influenced world literature in the Post World War II scenario.

Keywords: Realism, realist, literary movement, world literature, Balzac, Flaubert, Romantic Movement