Here's why:
* Romanticism emphasized emotion, imagination, and idealism. It often focused on nature, the supernatural, and individual experiences.
* Realism emerged as a reaction to Romanticism. It aimed to portray life as it actually was, focusing on everyday experiences, social issues, and realistic characters. It emphasized objectivity, detail, and a rejection of sentimentality.
Some key characteristics of Realism include:
* Focus on ordinary life: Realistic novels often featured working-class characters and dealt with everyday struggles like poverty, social injustice, and the realities of urban life.
* Objectivity and detail: Realist writers aimed to present their characters and situations in a factual and unbiased way, using detailed descriptions and observations.
* Emphasis on social issues: Realism often addressed contemporary social problems and challenged social norms.
* Rejection of sentimentality: Unlike Romanticism, Realism avoided exaggerated emotions and melodrama.
Some notable authors associated with Realism include:
* Gustave Flaubert (Madame Bovary)
* Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace)
* George Eliot (Middlemarch)
* Charles Dickens (Oliver Twist)
Realism paved the way for later literary movements like Naturalism and Modernism, which further explored the complexities of human life and society.