Realism and Naturalism Literature

Realist and naturalist literature examine ordinary lives within detailed social and material settings. Realist narratives give sustained attention to work, family, money, institutions, and the consequences of individual choices. Naturalist fiction often intensifies the role of environment and inherited conditions in shaping a character's circumstances. The traditions differ across countries and writers, from the social worlds of Trollope to the moral conflicts of Tolstoy. Their detailed worlds make the relation between individual responsibility and circumstance a recurring literary question.