Which of the following best distinguishes literary realism from Romantic fiction?
ARealist novels avoid metaphor and poetic language entirely
BRealism represents everyday social and psychological conditions with fidelity, resisting idealization
CRealist fiction depicts only working-class characters
DRealism requires the author to have personally witnessed the events depicted
Realism is defined by its commitment to plausible characters, recognizable social conditions, and cause-and-effect plotting — in contrast to Romanticism's idealization. Realist writers like Flaubert and James are highly stylized; the mode is not about abandoning craft but about directing aesthetic energy toward verisimilitude.
Question 2 True / False
Naturalism is simply another name for literary realism.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
Naturalism is a more extreme, philosophically deterministic form of realism — not a synonym. Naturalist writers (like Zola) portray characters as products of heredity and environment with little room for agency. Realism allows for greater psychological complexity and individual choice.
Question 3 Short Answer
What is free indirect discourse, and why is it a key technique in realist fiction?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: Free indirect discourse blends the narrator's voice with a character's inner thoughts, presenting the character's perspective without explicit speech tags. It allows realist fiction to convey psychological interiority while maintaining narrative coherence.
Realism prioritizes psychological depth and plausible interior lives. Free indirect discourse (used by Flaubert, Austen, and Tolstoy) is the technique that makes this possible: readers access a character's consciousness without the artifice of direct quotation or omniscient declaration.