Realism in Literature

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses and defines the birth of the genre of realism in the 19th century. It continues to present how realism is reflected in the works of Mary Shelley ("Frankenstein"), Charles Dickens ("Great Expectations"), Jane Austen ("Pride and Prejudice") and Emily Bronte ("Wuthering Heights"). Through these works, the paper illustrates the theme of social change by depicting the everyday lives of people who had been part of 19th century society. Expressing a realist perspective rather than one's subjective sentiments about life.

From the Paper:

"Dickens depicted the dissolution of class divisions through the characters of Pip and Estella, individuals who represented the underprivileged and the elite classes, respectively. In the novel, readers witnessed how Pip's ascent to a higher social class became possible through a secret benefactor, while Estella's higher stature eventually led to her poverty when Miss Havisham died. The once poor Pip eventually attained a better life, while Estella, once rich, became imprisoned in an abusive relationship with Drummle: "I had heard of her as leading a most unhappy life, and as being separated from her husband, who had used her with great cruelty..." In a similar vein, Bronte proved how 19th century was the period where class divisions were no longer stable and class mobility was not only encouraged, but was also possible. Heathcliff and Cathy Earnshaw's lives in Wuthering Heights illustrated the shifts of fortune that befell their lives, where the once rich Earnshaw family found themselves poorer than Heathcliff, who was once an orphan and maltreated servant in the Earnshaw family."

More papers on Realism in Literature:

• Analytical Essay # 124237 : "Psychological Realism in Literature"
• Comparison Essay # 112603 : "Naturalism and Realism in Literature"
• Analytical Essay # 73646 : "Realism In Fiction"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: