Romanticism and Realism
Cheryl Hert
Western Governors University

Romanticism vs. Realism The French Revolution brought about enormous change in the world. With the collapse of the absolute monarchy, the rules of society began to shift in favor of the common people. Under the new laws writers and artists were given a considerable amount of freedom to express themselves which did well to pave the way to set a high standard for literature (Gregory, 1915). During the time following the French Revolution, two very different styles of Art were formed; Romanticism emerged in 1820 and lasted until 1865. Realism then took over in 1865 and lasted until 1914. Although the two have very different characteristics, they both share the same beliefs in liberalism and the dignity of the common man. Romanticism evolved at the end of the 18th century as a reaction to the classical, formal compositions of Neoclassicism. Neoclassicism was based on reason, tradition, rules and order. Romantics believed the individual was more important than society, and with the Age of Industrialism upon them, they began to revolt against the conventional beliefs. Romantics viewed industrialization as an attack on humankind as well as Mother Nature. They believed that the industrial revolution was changing the natural order of man, who belonged in the country (Brown, n.d.). Romanticism had no “laws or rules” to follow. Romantic artist preferred emotion over reason, and the natural and mysterious aspects of life appealed to them. Romantics believed in Art as an expression of emotions, and felt that nature should be untamed. Paintings often involved some kind of natural disaster, such as a flood, blizzard, thunderstorm or fire. Poetry gave way to less formal styles of rhythm and rhymes, and used more common language and blank verse. In literature, the Romanticist characters were often “larger than life” and the settings were usually made up. The plot contained unusual events and the endings were often happy. Romantic artist strived to be utterly original, expressing a unique and unseen vision, by expressing themselves (Coconi, 2014).
Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelly, is the epitome of Romanticism in literature. Frankenstein tells the tale of a researcher, Victor Frankenstein who is consumed by the desire to create life. After conjuring up body parts and using electricity to bring it to life, he found the creature disgusting, and abandoned him. The creature begins to pursue Frankenstein for his acceptance, and when he does not get that, he seeks revenge, eventually killing all of his loved ones. Romantics glorified nature, dreams, visions, the power of the individual, and intuition. In regards to the character of Victor Frankenstein, Romantic characteristics exude from him.
The Civil war brought about enormous industrial, economic, social and cultural changes. To face the challenge of representing these dynamic cultural changes, American authors turned to the international aesthetic of realism. American realism was an attempt to accurately represent life as authors saw it through the use of concrete descriptive details that readers would recognize from their own lives (Overview, n.d.). The objects of art shifted from royalty and upper class to the middle class and the common people.
Realists were as objective as possible, focusing on the here and now. They painted pictures of nature, landscape, street life, night clubs and common, everyday occurrences. In poetry, realism rejected subjective, lofty ideals and preferred true to life statements over imagination. Although music never really changed, the scenes in the opera were depicted more realistically. The move to realism in literature was probably the most profound. Authors wrote in comprehensible detail about the lives and struggles of ordinary people without idealization or romantic subjectivity.
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck was written with so much realistic prose, that it was banned in two states. Steinbeck’s novel told the story of a family and their struggles in the Great Depression. Beginning with the eviction from their home in Oklahoma, he told of their journey to California and “the promised land.” Within the novel, he explained, in great detail, the conditions in migrant camps and the injustices done to farmers. The book’s sense of realism results from its brutal setting. The migrants exist in a world characterized by dirt, dust, suffering, starvation, death, poverty, ignorance, prejudice, and despair. Steinbeck does not hesitate to provide honest details, many of which appear in the brief chapters of exposition and social commentary that intersperse the Joads’ story (Sparknotes. n.d.). Just as Romanticism was a revolt against Neoclassicism, Realism was a revolt against Romanticism. Romantics and Realist were exact opposites. Romantics were interested in the mysterious and supernatural; Realist was interested in the true and mundane aspects of life. Romanticism was mostly subjective, where Realism was as objective as possible. Literature and Poetry in Romanticism used literary speech; Literature and Poetry in Realism used ordinary speech and dialect. Romantics focused on the individual, Realist focused on the society as a whole. Basically, the difference between the two periods can be summed up as the level of grounding in reality, or lack thereof. Today, Realism and Romanticism are still very much in demand. From film to television and the fine arts, realism is still a major player in the world of creative and expressive productions. Throughout human history there have been those that wish to see things as they are, and those that prefer to imagine the way things could be (Smith, n.d.). The age old question still remains: What are you---A Romantic or a Realist?

References
Brown, Lorri. "The Romantic Movement." Suite. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Gregory, Allene. "The French Revolution and the English Novel". New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1915. Pp. v-viii, 15-48, 270-282.)
Coconi, Angelik; “Neocllassical period vs Romanticism period.” Ehow. Demand Media, 25 July2011. Web, 25 March 2014.
"Overview." Norton Anthology of American Literature, 7th Edition. Ed. Nena Baym. W.w. Norton & Company, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.
SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. Smith, Esther. "The Realism Artist Paints Subjects as They Appear." Examiner.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.