Realism in Literature. Characteristic features and representatives of the direction

What is realism in literature? It is one of the most common directions, reflecting a realistic depiction of reality. The main task of this direction is reliable disclosure of the phenomena encountered in life, with the help of a detailed description of the characters depicted and the situations that happen to them, through typing. The lack of embellishment is important.

In contact with

Among other directions, only in the realistic, special attention is paid to the correct artistic depiction of life, and not to the reaction that has appeared to certain life events, for example, as in romanticism and classicism. The heroes of realist writers appear before the readers exactly as they were presented to the author's eyes, and not as the writer would like them to be.

Realism, as one of the most widespread trends in literature, settled closer to the middle of the 19th century after its predecessor, romanticism. The 19th century was subsequently designated as the era of realistic works, but romanticism did not cease to exist, it only slowed down in development, gradually turning into neo-romanticism.

Important!The definition of this term was first introduced into the literary criticism of D.I. Pisarev.

The main features of this direction are as follows:

  1. Full compliance with reality depicted in any work of the picture.
  2. Truthful concrete typification of all the details in the characters' images.
  3. The basis is a conflict situation between a person and society.
  4. Image in the work deep conflict situations, the drama of life.
  5. The author pays special attention to the description of all environmental phenomena.
  6. A significant feature of this literary trend is considered the writer's significant attention to the inner world of a person, his state of mind.

Main genres

In any direction of literature, including the realistic one, a certain system of genres is taking shape. It was the prose genres of realism that had a particular influence on its development, due to the fact that more than others were suitable for a more correct artistic description of new realities, their reflection in literature. The works of this direction are subdivided into the following genres.

  1. A social and everyday novel that describes the way of life and a certain type of character inherent in this way. Anna Karenina is a good example of the social genre.
  2. A socio-psychological novel, in the description of which you can see a complete detailed disclosure of the human personality, his personality and inner world.
  3. The realistic novel in verse is a special kind of novel. A wonderful example of this genre is "", written by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
  4. The realistic philosophical novel contains eternal reflections on topics such as: the meaning of human existence, opposition of good and bad sides, a definite purpose of human life. An example of a realistic philosophical novel is "", the author of which is Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov.
  5. Story.
  6. The story.

In Russia, its development began in the 1830s and became a consequence of the conflict situation in various spheres of society, the contradiction between the higher ranks and ordinary people. Writers began to address topical issues of their time.

Thus, the rapid development of a new genre begins - a realistic novel, which, as a rule, described the hard life of ordinary people, their hardships and problems.

The initial stage in the development of the realistic trend in Russian literature is the "natural school". During the period of the "natural school", literary works to a greater extent sought to describe the position of the hero in society, his belonging to any kind of profession. Among all genres, the leading place was occupied by physiological sketch.

In the 1850-1900s, realism began to be called critical, since the main goal was to criticize what was happening, the relationship between a certain person and spheres of society. The following issues were considered: the measure of the influence of society on the life of an individual; actions that can change a person and the world around him; the reason for the lack of happiness in human life.

This literary trend has become extremely popular in Russian literature, since Russian writers were able to make the world genre system richer. Works with in-depth questions of philosophy and morality.

I.S. Turgenev created an ideological type of heroes, the character, personality and internal state of which directly depended on the author's assessment of the worldview, finding a certain meaning in the concepts of their philosophy. Such heroes are subject to ideas that are followed to the very end, developing them as much as possible.

In the works of L.N. Tolstoy's system of ideas developing during the life of a character determines the form of his interaction with the surrounding reality, depends on the morality and personal characteristics of the heroes of the work.

The founder of realism

The title of the pioneer of this trend in Russian literature was rightfully awarded to Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. He is the generally recognized founder of realism in Russia. Boris Godunov and Eugene Onegin are considered vivid examples of realism in Russian literature of those times. Also, such works of Alexander Sergeevich as "Belkin's Tales" and " Captain's daughter».

In the creative works of Pushkin, classical realism gradually begins to develop. The portrayal of the personality of each character of the writer is comprehensive in an effort to describe the complexity of his inner world and state of mindthat unfold very harmoniously. Recreation of the experiences of a certain personality, its moral character helps Pushkin to overcome the self-will of describing passions inherent in irrationalism.

Heroes A.S. Pushkin appear before readers with open sides of their being. The writer pays special attention to describing the sides of the human inner world, depicts the hero in the process of development and formation of his personality, which are influenced by the reality of society and the environment. This was due to his awareness of the need to depict a specific historical and national identity in the features of the people.

Attention!Reality in the image of Pushkin collects in itself an exact concrete image of the details of not only the inner world of a certain character, but also the world that surrounds him, including his detailed generalization.

Neorealism in literature

New philosophical, aesthetic and everyday realities at the turn of the 19th – 20th centuries contributed to a change in direction. Implemented twice, this modification acquired the name neorealism, which gained popularity during the 20th century.

Neorealism in literature consists of a variety of trends, since its representatives had a different artistic approach to depicting reality, including the characteristic features of a realistic direction. It is based on appeal to the traditions of classical realismXIX century, as well as to problems in the social, moral, philosophical and aesthetic spheres of reality. A good example that contains all these features is the work of G.N. Vladimov's "The General and His Army", written in 1994.

Representatives and works of realism

Like other literary movements, realism has many Russian and foreign representatives, most of which have works of the realistic style in more than one copy.

Foreign representatives of realism: Honore de Balzac - "The Human Comedy", Stendhal - "Red and Black", Guy de Maupassant, Charles Dickens - "The Adventures of Oliver Twist", Mark Twain - "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", Jack London - "Sea Wolf", "Hearts of Three".

Russian representatives of this trend: A.S. Pushkin - "Eugene Onegin", "Boris Godunov", "Dubrovsky", "The Captain's Daughter", M.Yu. Lermontov - "A Hero of Our Time", N.V. Gogol - "", A.I. Herzen - "Who is to blame?", N.G. Chernyshevsky - "What is to be done?", F.M. Dostoevsky - “Humiliated and Insulted”, “Poor People”, L.N. Tolstoy - "", "Anna Karenina", A.P. Chekhov - " The Cherry Orchard"," Student "," Chameleon ", M.A. Bulgakov - "The Master and Margarita", "Heart of a Dog", I. Turgenev - "Asya", "Spring Waters", "" and others.

Russian realism as a trend in literature: features and genres

USE 2017. Literature. Literary trends: classicism, romanticism, realism, modernism, etc.

and the development of realism

Objectives: to acquaint students with the main features of classicism, sentimentalism and romanticism as actively fighting literary movements; show the formation of realism in Russian and world literature, as well as the emergence and development of Russian and professional literary criticism.

Lesson progress

I. Checking homework.

Understand 2-3 questions (at the choice of students) from the homework.

II. Lecture by the teacher (summary).

Students write in notebooks the main features of classicism, sentimentalism and emerging romanticism as literary movements. Literary origins of Russian realism.

The last third of the 18th - early 19th century - an important period in the development of Russian fiction. Among the writers are the highest nobility, headed by Catherine II, and representatives of the middle and small nobility, and the bourgeoisie. The works of N. M. Karamzin and D. I. Fonvizin, G. R. Derzhavin and M. V. Lomonosov, V. A. Zhukovsky and K. F. Ryleev occupy "the minds and hearts of readers" *.

On the pages of newspapers and magazines, in literary salons, there is an irreconcilable struggle between supporters of different literary trends.

Classicism (from lat. classicus - exemplary) - an artistic direction in literature and art of the 18th – early 19th centuries, which is characterized by high civil themes, strict adherence to certain creative norms and rules.

The founders and followers of classicism considered the works of antiquity to be the highest example of artistic creativity (perfection, classics).

Classicism arose (in the era of absolutism) first in France in the 17th century, then spread to other European countries.

In the poem "Poetic Art" N. Boileau created a detailed aesthetic theory of classicism. He argued that literary works are created without inspiration, but "rationally, after rigorous deliberation." Everything in them should be precise, clear and harmonious.

Classicist writers considered the goal of literature to educate people in loyalty to the absolutist state, and fulfilling duties to the state and the monarch was the main task of a citizen.

According to the rules of the aesthetics of classicism, strictly adhering to the so-called "hierarchy of genres", tragedy, ode, epic belonged to "high genres" and had to develop especially significant social problems. "High genres" were opposed by "low" ones: comedy, satire, fable, "designed to reflect contemporary reality."

Dramatic works in the literature of classicism obeyed the rules of "three unities" - time, place and action.

1. Features of Russian classicism

Russian classicism was not a simple imitation of the Western one.

He criticized the shortcomings of society more strongly than in the West. The presence of a satirical stream gave the works of the classicists a truthful character.

From the very beginning, Russian classicism was strongly influenced by the connection with modernity, Russian reality, which was illuminated in works from the point of view of advanced ideas.

Classicist writers "created images goodies, unable to come to terms with social injustice, developed the patriotic idea of \u200b\u200bserving the motherland, promoted high moral principles of civic duty and humane treatment of people **.

Sentimentalism (from fr. sentiment - feeling, sensitive) - an artistic direction in literature and art that arose in Western Europe in the 20s of the 18th century. In Russia, sentimentalism spread in the 70s of the 18th century, and in the first third of the 19th century it took a leading position.

While the heroes of classicism were commanders, leaders, kings, nobles, sentimentalist writers showed a sincere interest in the personality, character of a person (not noble and poor), his inner world. The ability to feel was considered by sentimentalists as a decisive feature and high dignity of the human person. The words of N. M. Karamzin from the story "Poor Liza" "and peasant women know how to love" pointed to the relatively democratic orientation of sentimentalism. Perceiving human life as fleeting, writers praised the eternal values \u200b\u200b- love, friendship and nature.

Sentimentalists have enriched Russian literature with such genres as travel, diary, essay, story, everyday novel, elegy, correspondence, "tearful comedy".

The events in the works took place in small towns or villages. There are many descriptions of nature. But the landscape is not just a background, but living nature, as if rediscovered by the author, felt by him, perceived by his heart. Progressive writers-sentimentalists saw their vocation in, as far as possible, to comfort people in suffering and sorrow, to turn them to virtue, harmony and beauty.

The most prominent representative of the Russian sentimentalists is N.M. Karamzin.

From sentimentalism "threads" spread not only to romanticism, but also to psychological realism.

2. The originality of Russian sentimentalism

Russian sentimentalism is noble-conservative.

Writers-nobles in their works depicted a person from the people, his inner world, feelings. For sentimentalists, the cult of feeling became a means of escaping reality, from those sharp contradictions that existed between the landlords and the serf peasantry, into the narrow world of personal interests, intimate experiences.

Russian sentimentalists developed the idea that all people, regardless of their social status, are capable of the highest feelings. This means, according to N. M. Karamzin, "in any state, a person can find roses of pleasure." If the joys of life are available to ordinary people, then "not through a change in the state and social system, but through the moral education of people lies the path to the happiness of the whole society."

Karamzin idealizes the relationship between landowners and serfs. The peasants are content with their lives and glorify their landlords.

Romanticism (from fr. romantique - something mysterious, strange, unreal) - an artistic direction in literature and art, which replaced sentimentalism in the late 18th - early 19th centuries and fiercely opposed classicism with its strict rules that hindered the freedom of creativity of writers.

Romanticism is a literary movement brought to life by important historical events and social changes. For Russian romantics, such events were the Patriotic War of 1812 and the Decembrist uprising. The views of romantic writers on historical events, on society, and on their positions in society were sharply different - from rebellious to reactionary, therefore, in romanticism, two main trends or trends should be distinguished - conservative and progressive.

Conservative romantics took subjects from the past for their works, indulged in dreams of the afterlife, poeticized the life of peasants, their humility, patience and superstition. They "led away" readers from the social struggle into the world of imagination. VG Belinsky wrote about conservative romanticism that “this is a desire, an aspiration, an impulse, feelings, a sigh, a groan, a complaint about imperfect hopes that did not have a name, sadness for lost happiness ... this is a world ... inhabited by shadows and ghosts, of course, charming and sweet, but nevertheless elusive; it is a dull, slowly flowing, never ending present, which mourns the past and does not see the future in front of itself; finally, it is love that feeds on sadness ... "

Progressive romantics sharply criticized their contemporary reality. The heroes of romantic poems, lyric poems, ballads had a strong character, did not put up with social evil, called for the struggle for freedom and happiness of people. (Poets-Decembrists, young Pushkin.)

The struggle for complete creative freedom united both progressive and conservative romantics. In romanticism, the basis of conflict is the discrepancy between dream and reality. Poets and writers strove to express their dreams. They created poetic images that corresponded to their ideas about the ideal.

The main principle of constructing images in romantic works was the poet's personality. The romantic poet, according to V. A. Zhukovsky, looked at reality "through the prism of the heart." So, civic poetry was for him and deeply personal poetry.

Romantics were interested in everything bright, unusual and unique. Romantic heroes are exceptional personalities, possessed by generosity and fierce passion. The setting in which they were portrayed is also exceptional and mysterious.

Romantic poets discovered the wealth of oral folk art, as well as literary monuments of the past, which had not received a correct assessment before.

The rich and complex spiritual world of the romantic hero demanded wider and more flexible artistic and speech means. "In the romantic style, the emotional coloring of the word, its secondary meanings begin to play the main role, and the substantive, basic meaning recedes into the background." Various figurative and expressive means of the artistic language are subject to the same stylistic principle. Romantics prefer emotional epithets, vivid comparisons, unusual metaphors.

Realism(from lat. realis - real) - an artistic direction in literature and art of the 19th century, which is characterized by the desire for a truthful depiction of reality.

Only from the second half of the 18th century. we can talk about the formation of Russian realism. Literary criticism defined the realism of this period as enlightenment realism with its civic spirit, interest in people, a tendency towards democratization, with tangible features of a satirical attitude towards reality.

DI Fonvizin, NI Novikov, AN Radishchev, IA Krylov and other writers played an important role in the formation of Russian realism. In the satirical journals of N. I. Novikov, in the comedies of D. I. Fonvizin, in “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” by A. N. Radishchev, in the fables of I. A. Krylov, the focus is “not just facts, people and things, but those laws that operated in life. "

The main feature of realism is the ability of the writer to give "typical characters in typical circumstances." Typical characters (images) are those in which the most important features characteristic of a particular historical period for a particular social group or phenomenon are most fully embodied.

A new type of realism emerged in the 19th century - this is critical realismdepicting the relationship between man and the environment in a new way. Writers "rushed" to life, discovering in its ordinary, habitual course of the laws of the existence of man and society. The inner world of a person has become the subject of deep social analysis.

Thus, realism (its various forms) has become a broad and powerful literary movement. The true "ancestor of Russian realistic literature, who gave perfect examples of realistic creativity," was Pushkin, the great folk poet. (For the first third of the 19th century, the organic coexistence of different styles in the work of one writer is especially characteristic. Pushkin was both a romantic and a realist, just like other outstanding Russian writers.) The great realists were L. Tolstoy and F. Dostoevsky, M. Saltykov-Shchedrin and A. Chekhov.

Homework.

Answer the questions :

How is romanticism different from classicism and sentimentalism? What moods are typical for romantic heroes? Tell us about the formation and literary origins of Russian realism. What is the originality of realism? Tell us about its different forms.

Literature grade 9. Textbook-reader for schools with in-depth study of literature Collective of authors

Features of realism in Russian literature

Russian writers were the first to turn to realism - it was their works that most vividly and deeply showed the enormous artistic potential of this creative method. In Western European literature, we will not find realistic works written before 1823-1824: this is the time when Alexander Pushkin creates Eugene Onegin and Boris Godunov. Realistic novels by Stendhal, Balzac and Dickens will appear only in the 30s. Many Western writers called their teachers I. S. Turgenev, F. M. Dostoevsky, L. N. Tolstoy and A. P. Chekhov.

Russian realists in their works have created amazingly vital, psychologically reliable characters, they are characterized by genuine humanism.

Russian realism has one very important feature, which for a long time was outside the scope of readers' attention. Russian realists, of course, very clearly and accurately showed the shortcomings of contemporary reality, but the main thing in their work was not denial, but assertion.

IS Turgenev admired the talent of the Russian people and admired the inner beauty of Russian women. He sincerely believed and showed this in his works that it is precisely the national qualities of the Russian character that are the guarantee of the future prosperity of Russia.

F. M. Dostoevsky emphasized the deeply personal perception of Christian values \u200b\u200binherent in the Russian person.

LN Tolstoy, who did not share Dostoevsky's respectful attitude to the Orthodox Church, saw the truly Christian soul of the Russian person in its simplicity and sincerity.

Even such merciless critics of the Russian reality of the 19th century as M.E.Saltykov-Shchedrin and A.P. Chekhov did not doubt their people for a moment. Remember the image of a peasant from "The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals" or the images of zemstvo doctors from the works of A.P. Chekhov.

When reading the works of Russian realists, one must not only see their critical attitude to the world around them, but also carefully look at the author's position, strive to comprehend the author's ideal.

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Articles about Russian literature

Realism is a trend in literature and art, truthfully and realistically reflecting the typical features of reality, in which there are no various distortions and exaggerations. This trend followed romanticism and was the forerunner of symbolism.

This trend originated in the 30s of the 19th century and reached its heyday by the middle. His followers strongly denied the use of literary works any sophisticated techniques, mystical trends and idealization of characters. The main feature of this trend in literature is the artistic reflection of real life with the help of ordinary and well-known readers of images that for them are part of their daily life (relatives, neighbors or acquaintances).

(Alexey Yakovlevich Voloskov "At the tea table")

The works of realist writers are characterized by life-affirming principles, even if their plot is characterized by a tragic conflict. One of the main features of this genre is the attempt by the authors to consider the surrounding reality in its development, to discover and describe new psychological, social and social relations.

Replacing romanticism, realism has the characteristic features of art seeking to find truth and justice, wanting to change the world in better side... The main characters in the works of realist authors make their discoveries and conclusions, after much thought and deep introspection.

(Zhuravlev Firs Sergeevich "Before the crown")

Critical realism is developing almost simultaneously in Russia and Europe (approximately 30-40s of the 19th century) and soon emerges as the leading trend in literature and art throughout the world.

In France literary realismis primarily associated with the names of Balzac and Stendhal, in Russia with Pushkin and Gogol, in Germany with the names of Heine and Buchner. All of them experience the inevitable influence of romanticism in their literary work, but gradually move away from it, abandon the idealization of reality and move on to portraying a broader social background, where the life of the main characters proceeds.

Realism in Russian literature of the 19th century

The main founder of Russian realism in the 19th century is Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. In his works "The Captain's Daughter", "Eugene Onegin", "Belkin's Tales", "Boris Godunov", "The Bronze Horseman", he subtly captures and masterfully conveys the very essence of all important events in the life of Russian society, represented by his talented pen in all its diversity , colorfulness and inconsistency. Following Pushkin, many writers of that time came to the genre of realism, deepening the analysis of the emotional experiences of their heroes and depicting their complex inner world ("A Hero of Our Time" by Lermontov, "The Inspector General" and " Dead Souls"Gogol).

(Pavel Fedotov "The Choosy Bride")

The tense socio-political situation in Russia during the reign of Nicholas I aroused a keen interest in the life and fate of the common people among progressive public figures of that time. This is noted in the later works of Pushkin, Lermontov and Gogol, as well as in the poetic lines of Alexei Koltsov and the works of the authors of the so-called "natural school": I.S. Turgenev (cycle of stories "Notes of a Hunter", stories "Fathers and Sons", "Rudin", "Asya"), F.M. Dostoevsky ("Poor People", "Crime and Punishment"), A.I. Herzen ("Magpie-thief", "Who is to blame?"), I.A. Goncharova ("An Ordinary History", "Oblomov"), A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit", L.N. Tolstoy ("War and Peace", "Anna Karenina"), A.P. Chekhov (stories and plays "The Cherry Orchard", "Three Sisters", "Uncle Vanya").

Literary realism of the second half of the 19th century was called critical, the main task of his works was to highlight existing problems, to touch upon the issues of interaction between a person and the society in which he lives.

Realism in Russian literature of the 20th century

(Nikolay Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky "Evening")

The turning point in the fate of Russian realism was at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when this trend experienced a crisis and a new cultural phenomenon - symbolism - loudly announced itself. Then a new, updated aesthetics of Russian realism arose, in which history itself and its global processes were now considered the main environment that forms a person's personality. The realism of the early 20th century revealed the complexity of the formation of a person's personality, it was formed under the influence of not only social factors, history itself acted as the creator of typical circumstances, under the aggressive influence of which the protagonist fell.

(Boris Kustodiev "Portrait of D.F.Bogoslovsky")

There are four main trends in realism at the beginning of the twentieth century:

  • Critical: Continues the traditions of mid-19th century classical realism. The works emphasize the social nature of phenomena (works by A.P. Chekhov and L.N. Tolstoy);
  • Socialist: displaying the historical and revolutionary development of real life, analyzing conflicts in the context of class struggle, revealing the essence of the characters of the main characters and their actions, committed for the benefit of others. (M. Gorky "Mother", "The Life of Klim Samgin", most of the works of Soviet authors).
  • Mythological: displaying and rethinking real life events through the prism of the plots of famous myths and legends (LN Andreev "Judas Iscariot");
  • Naturalism: an extremely truthful, often unsightly, detailed depiction of reality (AI Kuprin "The Pit", VV Veresaev "Notes of a Doctor").

Realism in foreign literature of the XIX-XX centuries

The initial stage of the formation of critical realism in European countries in the middle of the 19th century is associated with the works of Balzac, Stendhal, Beranger, Flaubert, Maupassant. Merimee in France, Dickens, Thackeray, Bronte, Gaskell in England, poetry of Heine and other revolutionary poets in Germany. In these countries, in the 30s of the 19th century, tension was growing between two irreconcilable class enemies: the bourgeoisie and the labor movement, there was a period of upsurge in various spheres of bourgeois culture, a number of discoveries were taking place in natural science and biology. In countries where a pre-revolutionary situation has developed (France, Germany, Hungary), the doctrine of scientific socialism by Marx and Engels appears and develops.

(Julien Dupre "Return from the fields")

As a result of complex creative and theoretical polemics with the followers of romanticism, critical realists took for themselves the best progressive ideas and traditions: interesting historical themes, democracy, trends of folklore, progressive critical pathos and humanistic ideals.

Realism of the early twentieth century, which survived the struggle of the best representatives of the "classics" of critical realism (Flaubert, Maupassant, France, Shaw, Rolland) with the trends of new unrealistic trends in literature and art (decadence, impressionism, naturalism, aestheticism, etc.), acquires new specific traits. He turns to the social phenomena of real life, describes the social motivation of the human character, reveals the psychology of personality, the fate of art. The modeling of artistic reality is based on philosophical ideas, the author's attitude is given, first of all, to the intellectually active perception of the work when reading it, and then to the emotional one. A classic example of an intellectual realistic novel is the works of the German writer Thomas Mann "The Magic Mountain" and "Confession of the Adventurer Felix Krul", the playwright of Bertold Brecht.

(Robert Kohler "The Strike")

In the works of the realist author of the twentieth century, the dramatic line is intensified and deepened, there is more tragedy (the works of the American writer Scott Fitzgerald "The Great Gatsby", "Tender Night"), a special interest in the inner world of man appears. Attempts to portray the conscious and unconscious moments of a person's life lead to the emergence of a new literary device close to modernism called “stream of consciousness” (works by Anna Zegers, V. Keppen, Y. O'Neil). Naturalistic elements are evident in the work of American realist writers such as Theodore Dreiser and John Steinbeck.

Realism of the twentieth century has a bright life-affirming color, faith in man and his strength, this is noticeable in the works of American realist writers William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, Mark Twain. The works of Romain Rolland, John Galsworthy, Bernard Shaw, Erich Maria Remarque enjoyed great popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Realism continues to exist as a direction in contemporary literature and is one of the most important forms of democratic culture.

Realism as a direction was a response not only to the Age of Enlightenment (), with its hopes for the human Reason, but also to romantic indignation at man and society. The world turned out not to be the way the classicists portrayed it and.

It was necessary not only to enlighten the world, not only to show its lofty ideals, but also to understand reality.

The answer to this request was the realistic trend that arose in Europe and in Russia in the 30s of the XIX century.

Realism is understood as a truthful attitude to reality in a work of art of a particular historical period. In this sense, its features can be found in literary texts of the Renaissance or Enlightenment. But as a literary trend, Russian realism became the leading one precisely in the second third of the 19th century.

The main features of realism

Its main features are:

  • objectivism in depicting life

(this does not mean that the text is a "splinter" of reality. This is the author's vision of reality, which he describes)

  • the moral ideal of the author
  • typical characters with the undoubted individuality of the heroes

(such are, for example, the heroes of Pushkin's Onegin or Gogol's landowners)

  • typical situations and conflicts

(the most common is the conflict between an extra person and society, a little person and society, etc.)


(for example, circumstances of upbringing, etc.)

  • attention to the psychological reliability of characters

(psychological characteristics of heroes or)

  • everyday and everyday life of heroes

(the hero is not an outstanding personality, as in romanticism, but one who is recognizable by readers as, for example, their contemporary)

  • attention to the accuracy and reliability of the detail

(for details in "Eugene Onegin" you can study the era)

  • ambiguity of the author's attitude towards heroes

(there is no division into positive and negative characters - for example, attitude towards Pechorin)

  • the importance of social problems: society and personality, the role of personality in history, "little man" and society, etc.

(for example, in the novel "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy)

  • approximation of the language of a work of art to living speech
  • the ability to use a symbol, myth, grotesque, etc. as a means of disclosing character

(when creating the image of Napoleon in Tolstoy or images of landowners and officials in Gogol).
Our short video presentation on the topic

Major genres of realism

  • story,
  • story,
  • novel.

However, the boundaries between them are gradually blurring.

According to scientists, the first realistic novel in Russia was Pushkin's Eugene Onegin.

The flourishing of this literary movement in Russia - the entire second half of the 19th century. The works of the writers of this era entered the treasury of world artistic culture.

From the point of view of I. Brodsky, this became possible due to the height of the achievements of Russian poetry of the previous period.

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