Definition of Realism

Introduction

The word realism depicts the characters and events which are apparently in the most ordinary and uninteresting way, in order to extract from these their full value and true meaning. It would apprehend in all particulars the connection between the familiar and the extraordinary, and the seen and unseen sides of human nature (2000). In general terms, realism portrays the ordinary contemporary life of a person, with attention to individual and regional peculiarities.

The birth of realism in literary movement

Realism in the literary movement began during the nineteenth century and is still very popular today. Realism came about after the Civil War and took the place of Romanticism. Realism focused on the actual and the every day life, rather than the imagined or fanciful style of Romantic literature. It originally came from France. Although the realistic movement had been active for some time, American Realism got its roots from 19th century America with the Civil War, the expanding frontier and the city life. Another key asset to the development of Realism was the fact that the public was getting bored of Romanticism. Although students were still reciting Romantic poetry and reading Romantic novels, many people believed Romantic literature to be old-fashioned and too flowery. The Realists were followed by the Naturalists, although the difference between the two is hard to define and the two terms are used interchangeably (1999 ).The distinction lies in the fact that Realism is concerned directly on what is absorbed by the senses; while Naturalism attempts to apply scientific theories to art.  A descriptive term like Realism is useful to the reader. (1961) considers that “descriptive terms” such as “romanticism, realism and classicism are valuable and necessary”.

Realism in Huckleberry Finn

             represented life in his story Huckleberry Finn in a realistic manner. His style was humorous and descriptive, capturing the colloquial voice of American speech with slang and iconoclasm (2000). makes it all the more realistic by capturing the setting’s regional dialect. It portrays the very natural conveyance of the mood of the story. The types of characters are all imperfect, just like real people. The everyday encounters and discussions can make everyone who reads the book feel that one way or the other, the story happened to someone else because it is how the events unfold, very realistic. The moral dilemmas depicted by Huckleberry are the ones an ordinary person deals with. It truly captures the very essence of a person’s struggle of society’s universal moral standard in accepting a person.

Prevalent themes

1) Setting

It takes place when slavery was at its height in America, and it addresses in a clear way the prejudices of southern whites that laid the foundation for slavery and were still omnipresent in time. The discussion of slavery in the text takes on a new meaning for a post-Civil War audience. It forced them to confront the legacy of slavery in spite of their eagerness to forget its devastating impact and rid themselves of its curse. The physical setting of the novel, most specifically the river and the raft has also drawn the attention of critics. The Mississippi River itself serves as a kind of no-man’s land in the text, a place outside of society that is governed by different rules. While Huck can be a kind of vagabond, traveling from one place to another without being a part of society,  must hide on the raft, the only place where he can be safe (1996).

2) Slavery

Slaver provides an allegory to explain how and why slavery is wrong.  uses , a main character and a slave, to demonstrate the humanity of slaves.  expresses the complicated human emotions and struggles with the path of his life. To prevent being sold and forced to separate from his family,  runs away from his owner, , and works towards obtaining freedom so he can buy his family’s freedom. All along their journey downriver,  cares for and protects of Huck, not as a servant, but as a friend (2006). 

Thus,  encourages the reader to feel empathy for  and remorse at the society that has enslaved him and threatened his life. However, although attacks slavery through it is portrayal of ; he never directly addresses the issue. It is for the reader to realize and think for him or herself. Being too obvious never brings a writer anywhere. Moreover, only in the end does develop the crucial conflict of slavery: should Huck free  and then be condemned to hell? This decision is life threatening for Huck, as it will make him be the public enemy of the people in his community. He then chose to let go of  of followed his gut feeling, he didn’t do that because he is afraid of the condemnation of society, he did that because he realized that he don’t have to do the accepted thing just to follow social norms, he did that to follow the morality of conscience.

 

 

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