Hugo and Dickens question

[Ramona]

Hi people,

I'm wondering quite some time about the next: what do you think about Dickens and Hugo. Are they more realistic or romantic writers? Hugo has in my opinion many romantic treats, but in his later work, like Le Miserables for example, he gets more realistic. What is your opinion? Does Dickens works with romantic theme's?

[behindblueeyes]

I think Dickens uses romantic themes for sure.. For example, one of the major themes of A tale of to cities was that love conquers hate, and that people sacrifice themselves for love.

[mono]

Though they both lived during a very second-generation Romantic era of poetry, I find that they used elements of both Romanticism and Realism in their literature. Unlike much of the poetry of the time, and as one of the things that defines Romanticism, Charles Dickens and Victor Hugo did not really utilize the art of allusion, reflect on mythology, meditate on Greek and Latin works, etc. Their fiction, to me, seemed far more realistic than much of the poetry of their lifetimes, but, indeed, their very narrative styles reflected a lot of emotion, introspection, and intuition - also very important elements of Romanticism.

[sHaRp12]

Hugo is pretty much the poster boy for Romanticism. Where do you get realistic from? Especially in Les Miserables. I hardly think that an escaped peasent convict turned mayor and millionaire is real.

[Nickleby]

Hi people,

I'm wondering quite some time about the next: what do you think about Dickens and Hugo. Are they more realistic or romantic writers? Hugo has in my opinion many romantic treats, but in his later work, like Le Miserables for example, he gets more realistic. What is your opinion? Does Dickens works with romantic theme's?
They are a mixture of both in my opinion for each of their characters is realistic in a sense that the authors either experienced (or knew someone who experienced) similar problems. However, both Dickens and Hugo, (two of my favorite authors, by the way), usually have characters (in fact almost always) have characters who fall in love with other characters (example: Marius and Cosette from LES MISERABLES, Nicholas Nickleby and Madeline Bray from NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, David Copperfield, Dora Spenlow, and Agnes Wickfield, etc. etc.) I hope this answers your questions! :)

[Ramona]

To avoid possible misunderstandings must say that I’m not a native English speaker, so sometimes I have a difficulty to find the right way to say what I mean. I sow elsewhere on this forum that people say to each other that they are offensive or so, but in my case (if something like this happens) it could be only because of my not so great English, so I’m missing those small things in felling the language.


Hugo is pretty much the poster boy for Romanticism. Where do you get realistic from? Especially in Les Miserables. I hardly think that an escaped peasent convict turned mayor and millionaire is real.

That's exactly the reason why I think there is a mix between the two genres. One of the characteristics of Realism is that it deals with people from lower classes, individuals vs. society, and a lot of details. These are al things that one can find in Les Miserables. Although Hugo is a representative of Romanticism he did write a few works that are really difficult to place in one or another genre. Les miserables is an example I think.

behindblueeyes, is it possible to say that love that conquers all is idealism? As far as I know English realistic works often have idealism in them. Not sure what to think in the case of Dickens. :confused:

Thank you all for your thoughts!

[mono]

Hugo is pretty much the poster boy for Romanticism. Where do you get realistic from? Especially in Les Miserables. I hardly think that an escaped peasent convict turned mayor and millionaire is real.
Especially in Les Misérables, as opposed to The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, I see a great balance between Romanticism and Realism. Romanticism, to me, produced and reproduced over-and-over again in the poetry of Hugo's and Dickens' time, seemed to define the well-known second generation of Romanticism (John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, and co.). Some major aspects that defined Romanticism, especially of that era, consisted of allusions to mythology, references to the past (especially in Greek or Latin literature), etc. Neither Charles Dickens or Victor Hugo utilized any of these artistic means of literature.
I feel, however, that each writer and their characters used immense amounts of emotion, intuitive thought, and introspection - other characteristics of Romanticism. Both, additionally, can seem more pragmatic in their own ways; their very-narrative styles read as rather earth-based, as opposed to seeming devoted to mythology and history, having some interesting similes, metaphors, and oxymorons here and there, but those seem typical of both Realism and Romanticism.

[behindblueeyes]

yeah love conquers all can be idealism but in a few of dickens' books (i havent read them all), there is a whole lot of melodrama and emotion and by what ive read i'd say he wrote romantically but i think he wrote realistically in other books so... really i'd have to say he did both. as for hugo i havent read any yet