Realism in art
and literature
Humanities 2
I.
Introduction
A.
Linkage
today and Wednesday between visual art and literature; we’ll be going back and
forth between the two of them
B.
Today,
I’m going to give you some overview of realism and we’ll be using the story you
read and some images from visual art to see how those characteristics get
worked out
II.
Realism
described/defined
A.
Emphasis
on common, everyday people and events
1.
Photography
in 1830s; encouraged great interest in what was really around us; people came
to know the world through pictures
2.
Kind
of slice of life emphasis—tends to be pretty much on the surface of story; not
a lot of deep symbolism
3.
Read
p. 175-6 in Adam Bede by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)
4.
See
there the emphasis that need to show life as it is—not fix it up and make
things better
B.
“Truthful treatment of
material”
1.
William
Dean Howells—very influential in American literature in terms of setting out
what is most important (don’t nec. have to remember his name)
2.
His
def: “Realism is nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of
material, and Jane Austen was the first and the last of the English novelists
to treat material with entire truthfulness”
3.
Another
quote from Howells: “Is it true? True
to the motives, the impulses, the principles that shape the life of actual men
and women?”
4.
Mention
of Austen there; if seen any of her movies, know that aren’t big, melodramatic
stories; quiet tales of small town life (why parody in Clueless was so
funny)
5.
Need
to be certain not to fix things up—just be true
C.
Focus
on the here and now
1.
Break
from the romantic urge of supernatural and the gothic—where moving beyond
2.
Courbet:
“Show me an angel and I’ll paint one”
3.
In
Flaubert’s story, think about how much fun Poe could have with this parrot—but
doesn’t happen here
4.
But
in these stories, not a lot of violent emotion—not melodramatic; just focus on
what happens here and now
5.
Development
of the diorama (not round, but flash lights on it and make it look like it’s
moving) and panorama (circular painting that fills up whole room)
III. Some reasons for this new
emphasis on realistic life
1.
New
print media (developed lithography)--
unlike wood in that will last for many printings (so images much more
common in society)
2.
Steam
printing press, cheap newsprint, cheap ink, mechanized type setting device—all
allow for more broad distribution (Penny Magazine in 1832, available to
large audience)
3.
Railroads
distribute to many people
B.
Middle-class
1.
Because
of this approach, tended to appeal to middle-class audience, who made up lot of
reading public by now
2.
Often
the minor catastrophes of middle class were focus of story
3.
Great
love of these stories; time of great Victorian novels (what middle and late 19th
c. in England called in literature)—probably most prominent was Charles Dickens
a.
Probably
know some of his novels, like Great Expectations or David Copperfield
b.
Story
goes that people so waiting for installments of Great Expectations (were
serialized) that were waiting on docks in NYC when they were due
c.
And
also with that story, even though wanted truth to life, when Dickens had
unhappy ending, such an outcry that he changed it!
IV. Gustave Courbet, major
realist painter from France (1819-77)
1. What do you suppose was supposed to be the focus of big paintings? [should be important people and subject matter]
2.
What’s
here?
[just ordinary people—and not very beautiful at
that!]
3.
Courbet
saying her can monumentalize even the drab facts of ordinary life
4.
not
neatly composed—just people crowded together; not romanticized at all
V.
The
stories
A.
Gustave
Flaubert
1.
Best
known for Madame Bovary; certainly a classic example of realism
2.
As
may have seen in headnote, he alternated between more Romantic writing and more
realistic
B. “A Simple
Heart”
1.
Given
what I’ve said about realism, how does this story fit in? Work on this in groups—come up with three
ways that this story fits in
[see emph. on small town
life; nothing too exceptional—just everyday events; not written in overblown
manner—fairly straightforward; not a lot of deep interp.]
IN MORE DETAIL
2.
p.
1019—see close description of the house; p. 1024—see descr. like if following a
map
3.
Main
character Felicite is certainly not heroic figure; is servant; get a sense of
her life
4.
Look
at her in more detail
a.
see
her small portion of belongings
b.
obviously
not educated
c.
has
a hard time early on—rejected by lover; goes away for job
d.
she
becomes deaf and somewhat confused
e.
bizarre
love for parrot
5.
But
even though all this happens, she doesn’t become a grotesque figure; still seems
to live and in fact I think we tend to admire her—see her as having a kind of
strength to carry on instead of giving in (so mixed positive and negative—like
real life)
6.
But
still elements in here, seems to me, that suggest Romantic background; editors
talk about connection to saint’s story, which is fair
a.
But
I’m more interested in connection to Romantics
b.
See
in isolated young woman (common in gothic)—with the danger to her with lover
c.
See
in her heroic action with bull—but author doesn’t do what Romantic might have
done (see p. 1023—very understated)
d.
Also
suggestion of it with the mass accumulation of sorrows, especially with
whipping on road—all just seems a little melodramatic
e.
Ending
(p. 1038) with suggestion of linkage of parrot and Holy Spirit (doesn’t quite
fit in with everything realistic)