Realism on the English Stage

Group (K): Esraa Ghoniem – Rodaina El-Deeb.

Realism on the English stage.

                             This research paper will discuss Realism in literature; specifically about realism in drama and how this new literary movement came to light out of Romanticism, and what state of affairs in the society made the writers devolve from Romanticism into another literary movement; Realism.

                                  Realism's definition in the dictionary is "A manner of treating subject matter that presents a careful description of everyday life, usually of the lower and middle classes". It is also known as "A theory of writing in which the ordinary, familiar, or mundane aspects of life are represented in a straightforward or matter-of-fact manner that is presumed to reflect life as it is". However, Realism in theater is "A style and a type of writing that emerged during a specific period when writers sought to portray life as it really was; real characters in real lives with real jobs and real problems". Realism in American literature, which lasted from 1865-1910, was a reaction to and a rejection of Romanticism. Taking a glimpse in history is such an ideal opportunity for one to understand the weight of the last statement.

                            Romanticism was a complex creative, artistic, and intellectual development that started in the second half of the eighteenth century in Western Europe, and picked up rigidity amid the Industrial Revolution. It was somewhat a rebellion against refined social and political standards of the Age of Enlightenment and a response against the investigative justification of nature, and was exemplified most firmly in the visual expressions, music, and writing. Romanticism was a sort of rebellion to Classicism - the literary movement that preceded Romanticism. Therefore; Romanticism moved far from concentrating on reason and man's capacity to work out circumstances and concentrated more on the therapeutic force of nature and how it is considered as a balm to humans. The fundamental points of Romanticism were divergent: a return to nature and having faith in the integrity of humankind, the rediscovery of the artist as an individual creator, the development of nationalistic pride and the worship of senses and emotions over reason and intellect. Furthermore, romanticism was a philosophical rebellion against rationalism. It was imaginative, emotionally intense, optimistic, and far from being reasonable.

                           As the nineteenth century began, the population and working base developed, while at the same time, changes in industry became life-altering. Machines were constructed and manufacturing got to be easier as factory life developed. Eventually, this industrialization and urbanization lead to major financial and social changes which made division between the rich and the poor grow and there was a requirement for literature that mirrored reality. As a result to this, writers like Mark Twain, William Dean Howells and Henry James saw this gap in the landscape of literature at the time. So, they began to write real stories with real characters who often spoke in a way that reflected their region, class, gender, and age. Mark Twain especially known for the use of dialect rather than looking towards an ideal standard language. These authors focused on an accurate representation of the middle class.

                                As previously stated, Realism in literature was a methodology that helps to portray life without romanticizing or sentimental subjectivity. Despite the fact that Realism is not restricted to a group of authors, it is regularly connected with the literary development in nineteenth-century France, particularly with the French writers Flaubert and Balzac. George Eliot introduced Realism to England, and William Dean Howells brought it to the United States. While the movement began in France, it was heavily influenced by writers such as Ivan Turgenev Aleksandra Ostrovsky, Aleksey Pisemsky, Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov, who was known for poetic expiration and symbolism. The Realists, driven by what was happening around them in society (racism, slavery, civil wars, and prejudice), showed life using realistic settings and dialogues. Moreover, Realism has been mostly concerned with the commonplaces of everyday life among the middle and lower classes, where character is a result of social variables and environment is the essential component in the dramatic complications. In Drama, Realism is nearly connected with Ibsen's social plays.

                                       The Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) presented modern drama out of components of the mainstream nineteenth-century types of acting and the "well-made play." Although his first European victories happened with his romantic verse dramas of the 1860s, Ibsen's incredible impact on the English stage started with A Doll's House. The play's affirmation on the social issue of women's status in marriage gave Ibsen prominence, especially in England, as a dramatist of thoughts and a women's activist. The nineteenth century writer is noted for both splitting far from Romanticism and building up Realism in drama. While Romanticism stresses imagination over reason and demonstrates adoration for nature, Realism is a style of speaking to reality as it seems to be, or creating a "verisimilitude" of reality, more often depicting middle-class life.

                                        The arrival of Realism was undoubtedly useful for theater as it promoted more audience contribution and brought issues to light of contemporary social and moral issues. It provided and keeps on providing a medium through which writers can express their perspectives about societal qualities, states of mind and ethics. A Doll's House, for instance, is the tragedy of modern life — a Norwegian housewife, who is compelled to change law, society and her spouse's fantasies. It can be perceived as a realistic issue drama. Ibsen's sensitivity for the feminine cause has been commended and deprecated; as he requires the crowd to judge the words and activities of the characters to reassess the qualities of them.