Realism
Realism is the movement that was dated in
France between 1850 and 1880, and the authors of this movement want to tell us about the world around them. But it is important to know that Realism could play with fiction, but realism opposes idealism. Gustave Flaubert in Sentimental Education shows
France to the readers at this period of time and also, he describe in his book, how French society was like at that time.
Realism is the faithful reproduction of life and the way people think at this period of time. Sentimental Education is the book that gives the readers many outside and inside examples of realism, Flaubert describes the world how it is, and how human feelings without representation are in abstract form. However, in his book, the author has not created something that he cannot perceive. The author does not create a fancy picture; he gives us the reality, for example, how the people dressed at that time and who the sailors are or who the passengers are.
Sentimental Education, for example, “The hill was crowned with trees, which surrounded low-built houses, covered with roofs in the Italian style”… (6), here we have real life, and describing to the readers, how
France looks like at this time. Also, Flaubert, describe a commonplace, and the everyday life of the habitants. Then, when the author tells us, that the hill was crowned with trees, the readers can figure out how this place looks like, and also in this scene, the readers know about the physical objects existing without the abstract form.
Flaubert illustrated to us the way the people thought, and the concern they have about society. Realism is real life, then, Flaubert in his book gives exact examples of realism because he describes the outside and inside of
France’s a world.
