Literature Network » Gustave Flaubert

realism

Content courtesy of

From: Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Date: 20070301
Author:

In literature, the theory or practice of fidelity to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization of everyday life. The 18th-century works of Daniel Defoe , Henry Fielding , and Tobias Smollett are among the earliest examples of realism in English literature. It was consciously adopted as an aesthetic program in France in the mid-19th century, when interest arose in recording previously ignored aspects of contemporary life and society; Gustave Flaubert 's Madame Bovary (1857) established the movement in European literature. The realist emphasis on detachment and ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Other Articles on Gustave Flaubert

About Our Articles: We've partnered with Highbeam Research to provide these article excerpts for your research needs. However, due to copyright laws, we cannot publish the whole article. To view these articles in full length you'll need to use the link above to access the free trial at Highbeam.