Realism Project- Definition of Realism

Realism could be described as a style of writing in which details and ideas are probable and reasonable. Compared to the Romantic writing style in which grand stories of deep love, misery, and excessive emotions were used, Realism is, simply, just more "realistic" (Diamond). When thrown into dangerous or unfortunate situations, it would be common for the main character to describe how one might really feel in that particular conflict; he does not exclaim how God will save him or suddenly become some superhuman, which might actually happen in a story written in the Romanticism time period.
Although the Realism time period did occur soon after the Romanticism period and may have evolved from it, the views and writing styles are much different (Diamond). Realism, according to Marie Josephine Diamond, is "infused with concrete details and accurate descriptions of society, the characters of realist fiction are drawn from the events and contexts of modern life and face everyday obstacles." Basically, Realism really is just as its title states; it is realistic.
Instead of focusing solely on God or other spiritual or emotional beings, Realism tends to deal with real life things. One common subject in Realism is what is known as the "American Dream" (Diamond). Many authors wrote about the character's journey to find happiness and support for them and/or their family; success is a big part of this equation. Creating a home, a stable job, and a family to carry on the character's name seems to appear often in Realism stories. The government was also a common topic, as the government played a big part in standing in the way of the American Dream. It makes sense that these topics were written about so often, as these issues were most likely common in the author's world (Diamond).
Realism also includes "heroes" (Diamond). However, in the writings of Realism, heroes were not necessarily the muscular gods or exceptionally intelligent men that had been written about previously. Instead, these heroes were just common individuals who were placed in situations and tried to work their way out of them. Interestingly, these heroes did not necessarily always survive, proving that Realism is indeed realistic (Diamond).
Realism was a popular writing style that has evolved into many of the common forms of literature written today. The realistic, everyday nature of it set it apart from the works of Romanticism or any other writing styles of the day, providing readers entertainment they could relate to two hundred years ago and can still relate to today.

WORKS CITED

Diamond, Marie Josephine, ed. "realism." Encyclopedia of World Writers, 19th and 20th Centuries. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= GEWW480&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 28, 2011).