What are the characteristics of Realism in European Literature?
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Realism and Naturalism were written in backlash against the previous Gothic styles.\n\nTheir purpose was to portray real life as realistically as possible without the unbelievable plots twists of earlier writing. The problem with this was that purely Realist and Naturalist books would be unreadable (see character of Harold Biffen in "New Grub Street" by George Gissing as exemplifying this)and so often the plots were just as unbelievable as their predecessors'. "Therese Raquin" by Emile Zola is a good example of how a Naturalist piece can become hysterically Gothic.\n\nAlso, Realism mainly dealt with modern, Bourgeois life rather than looking at Lords and Ladies. See "Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert - at Realist fiction in which the lead character is obsessed with Gothic novels.\n\nNaturalism particularly was associated with the idea that writing could be a "scientific experiment" whereby the author was all but absent from the process and the characters behaved in a manner much like real people would if placed in the same situation.\n\nThis is the fatal flaw of this school of writing, as clearly a novel is entirely subjective and as a figment of the author's imagination it is impossible that it could be objective or impartial.
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There are SO MANY examples, but I will give a few to get you started. If you are unfamiliar with these works just Google or Wikipedia the titles. Not all are allusions, some are just manifestations of the themes present in these literary works.\n\nI will start with the most obvious:\n\nPygmalion (the myth)\nPygmalion (the play by George Bernard Shaw)\n\nI not sure how old you are, but the more recent adaptations of the above works would be the movie She's All That and possibly Ice Princess?(entertainment).\n\nIn advertising, they are always trying to sell you a cosmetic product that will significantly transform you from the "ugly duckling" into the "beautiful swan" .\n\nShakespeare:\n\nRomeo and Juliet --- I am sure you can find the most recent example since West Side Story and Romeo Must Die (sigh).\n\nHenry IV: Parts I and II: \n(sorry I forgot to add Henry V as well)\n\nYou see the transformation of Prince Hal from a slacker to a noble leader (Henry V), when he ascends the monarchy and makes poignant adult decisions (such as executing one of his former slacker friends for treason when he is king)\n\nModern rendition (Entertainment): It is not that recent, but The Godfather II where Michael Corleone undergoes a similar transformation (albeit in a perverted way) as he becomes the next don of the mafia. He orders the mafia to kill his brother Fredo once he discovers that he betrayed his trust as well as a friend of the family (his character was played by Robert DuVall).\n\nThe Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison)\n\nThere are so many themes in this book, but the most poignant would be the self-esteem of Pecola Breedlove and the projections of images regarding color and class in her community.\n\nModern rendition (Advertising): From beauty and fitness magazines to the celebrity culture that saturate our society, we are subliminally conditioned to look a certain way in order to be desirable and loved.\n\nLike I said, so many examples. Most of the action flicks with a tormented character are versions of epic Greek and Roman poetry (Odyssey, Iliad, Aeneid).\n\nBusiness allusions are usually the vignettes and novels of Horatio Alger (i.e. rags to riches, pull yourself up by your bootstraps). \n\nMark Twain is another author whose works have been referenced, most notably in entertainment, The Prince and the Pauper and A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Once your read the plot summaries, then you know what I am talking about.\n\nBut as I stated, look through classic and modern literature of different time periods. Here some suggestions:\n\nGreek tragedies and epic poetry\nVictorian Age of British Literature (esp. Charles Dickens)\nRussian plays and novels (Chekov and Dostoevsky)\nPoems, short stories, and novels of the Harlem Renaissance (Hughes, McKay, Wright (esp. Native Son))\nFables (Aesop), "fairy tales" (Andersen, Grimm Brothers, etc.).\n\nHope that helps!! Good Luck!
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Literature works on different levels.  Apart form the literal meaning, there can be meanings by analogy.  For example, a story may have parallels in your life that have special meaning to you.  Most literature can say something about the general - although it is literally about the specific.  (A love story about Janet and John could contain truths about love in general, for example).\n\nLiterary works - Shakespeare's Macbeth for example - are praised for their insights into human life in general rather than what they tell us about the historical character of Macbeth in particular.  (That would be history, not literature, and judged according to how it actually concurs with the facts.)\n\nLiterature is different from other types of written discourse in that it is judged only on its internal logic and not on its relevance or consistency with the outside world.  Literature is generally regarded as a poetic construct.
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Writing styles and subject matter. \nThere are both similarities and differences in either area.
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I believe that fiction is inspired by the truth and fantasy is merely a dream of reality ;-)\n\nI never wear mask, take me as I am, if not then leave me as I am...
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Magical realism is basically when wacky, unrealistic and magical things are incorporated into a story as if they're part of every-day life. For example, you can describe someone casually walking down the street, waving to his friends giraffes, who are selling fresh fruits and vegetables to feed their baby elephants. It has to be crazy, and unrealistic, but told in such a way as if it was a normal life. A great movie exmaple of magic realism is Big Fish. Maybe you could do a review of that?
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Imaginative literature includes fables, poetry, myths, legends, fairy tales, novels.Imagination helps humans to develop their lifestyle. The process of reading poetry, novels, mythology and other type of literature helps us to enhance the creativity skills.
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I'd say B. Interpretive literature because it's by no means short, and it's a play, not a novel
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talk about the ways mirrors have been used in literature, like Through the Looking-Glass for starters.
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You are really generalizing this genre.  "Fiction" is not a specific type of book, and thus can be considered many things.  However, most fiction novels have some element that is unique to the story and not to the real world, though it is allowed if by accident.  For instance, a fictitious novel about a murder, may match perfectly a murder case with the only exception being the names of the characters, but the story is still fiction because the names are unique and it is being published independently of the actual murder.  Historical fiction, for instance, can have this type of occurence.  William Shakespeare's "Julius Ceasar" is considered fiction, but it is feasible that the events portrayed in the play reflect the true historical death of Ceasar.  Another popular type of fiction is science fiction.  In science fiction, the story is more often based on a scientific hypothesis about some pre-existing knowledge.  For instance, a story about moon travel was considered just imagination until NASA began sending flights to the moon.\nBasically, I am trying to say that a FICTION book is a very poor designation, because it is too vague.  However, fiction does contain at LEAST one invented element, be that a name, a character, or a world.
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Reality is real. No. No. Allegory is symbolic story. Historically, maybe. What do you mean is doctrine real? No.\n\nI prefer light 'cept when I have a migrane.\n\nThe light of the world is not a GE lightbulb. It is the Sun :)
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A plot is basically the outline of the story\nThere are 5 characteristics in a plot:\nthe conflict\nexposition (or introduction)\nrising action\nclimax\nand the resolution
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# capable of being reached; "a town accessible by rail"\n# capable of being read with comprehension; "readily accessible to the nonprofessional reader"; "the tales seem more approachable than his more difficult novels"\n# easily obtained; "most students now have computers accessible"; "accessible money"\n# easy to get along with or talk to; friendly; "an accessible and genial man"
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i wrote a paper in college on the rise of fascism in europe in the 1930s.  in this paper i examined the characteristics of fascism, using historical information about well-defined fascist states like germany and italy, as well as mussolini's own writings on fascism.  some of the common characteristics of a fascist state are:\n\n- political power is centralized under a single person, not necessarily a dictator but one who is charismatic and regarded as a personal embodiment of the nation, in that their will is seen to express the will of the nation.  such a person usually comes to power by legal means (elections generally) and then gradually and unilaterally increases the scope of their power.\n\n- the regime is supported by a very strong military, especially one that includes various paramilitary militia-like groups.  examples are the italian "blackshirts" or the austrian "heimwehr" (there are many others) that are ostensibly about protecting the homeland, but are only loosely attached to the government and are officially described as a "grassroots" sort of movement.\n\n- the mood is extremely nationalistic, replete with official slogans, massive parades and propaganda extolling the glories of the nation or people.  there is a lot of religious imagery that implies a divine right of sorts and lends an almost mythical aura of invincibility and justness to the cause.  \n\n- the economics are extremely right-wing - workers' unions and socialists are suppressed outright while corporations are seen as the fundamental unit of economic activity.  the arts and intellectuals are dismissed as worthless, or effeminate, compared to the manly activities of industry and warfare.  sexism is also rampant.\n\n- opposition is suppressed by overt censorship and an ever-increasing degree of terrorism by those that support the fascist group.  those who oppose the fascists might find their windows broken, and then their homes torched, and so on.  minorities are also systematically persecuted, both economically and physically.  mass media is controlled by the state.\n\n- policies are reactionary (as opposed to preventative), revisionist (mistakes, policy reversals or otherwise undesirable history is erased or officially removed from the record as though they were never there), and imperialist (the fascist state tries to expand its territory or assert political/economic dominance over its neighbors.)\n\nso that said, let's look at how these conditions apply to the united states:\n\n- political power is rather decentralized - the president does have many powers but cannot really do much without support from congress, cannot make policy that applies to state or local jurisdiction,  and has limited powers.  bush's approval rating is in the low 40% these days, which hardly qualifies him as the recipient of the widespread idolatry that is typical of a fascist leader.\n\n- the US military is very strong, but is largely engaged in foreign activities whereas local law enforcement agencies enforce the laws at home.  there have been some scattered groups that remind me of the paramilitary militias, especially the so-called "minutemen" who stand armed guard over the mexican border.  however the US government has been clear in its lack of support.  also the name of the Department of Homeland Security has fascist overtones that remind me of the "heimswehr" (literally "home guard" in german) but this is tenuous.\n\n- nationalism has been on the upswing especially since 9/11 but i think it is starting to wane, especially as the war in iraq continues.  you do see a lot of "support our troops" and flag magnets around, but this is relatively minor compared to the patriotic songs and government-issued nationalistic propaganda that are common under fascist states.  certainly there is none of the religious glory-of-our-nation stuff, but the "axis of evil" and "good will pr
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Shakespeare's plays WERE the Rennaisance, they had a huge impact on the people and other literature of the time.  Shakespeare is still today hailed as one of the only writers to accurately and delicately illustrate all of the human emotions with such feeling and beauty.  The Rennaisance was the awakening of Europe to education, art, and literature.
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It is a fictional novel people.  FICTION.\n\nThat is like asking if someone believes there is Truth in the Lord of the Rings or Charlottes Web.  FICTION people, it is not history but FICTION.
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hi.\n\nI suggest you look at various textual analysis theories. Different theories approach the interpreatation of literature differently.\n\nObviously, 'history' is created. So depending on how you want to interpret the writing, a different meaning (history) will be produced.\n\nSo, if you took a marxist approach to this question, your answer would be that the dominant social class inflict their cultural ideologies into literature. Thus, history would be remembered only from the dominant point of view. This approach suggests that other minor cultures, like the working class, women, ethinic groups, do not get their point of view represesnted in history. \n\nThus, the literature 'canon' is critised for not representing enough different histories.\n\nOther approachs like structrualsim, post structualism and semiotics state that meanings are generated from texts and are not simply reflections of reality. Texts, like literature, structure the way in which people make sense of the world. All words in literature are manipulated by someone. Analysis theories try to de-code the 'real' message. \n\nBut who realy creates the meaning of history? the author or the reader? and is there ever a 'real' history?\n\nhope this helps!