The 19th century witnessed a dramatic shift in literary sensibilities, moving from the passionate, individualistic outpourings of Romanticism to the grounded, objective observations of Realism. While Romanticism, flourishing in the early decades, championed emotion, imagination, and the sublime power of nature, Realism, emerging in the mid-century, sought to portray ordinary life and societal issues with unvarnished accuracy. Examining key works like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) and Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary (1856) reveals this fundamental divergence: Romanticism prioritizes the inner world and the extraordinary, whereas Realism focuses on the external world and the mundane, often with critical intent.
Romanticism, deeply influenced by the Enlightenment's questioning of reason and the French Revolution's upheaval, celebrated subjective experience and the individual's emotional landscape. Shelley's Frankenstein, a quintessential Romantic novel, exemplifies this through its exploration of Victor Frankenstein's unchecked ambition and the Creature's profound alienation. Victor’s obsessive pursuit of knowledge, driven by a fervent desire to transcend human limitations, is a distinctly Romantic quest, fueled by imagination rather than practical consideration. The novel is saturated with descriptions of awe-inspiring natural scenery – the desolate Arctic wastes, the majestic Alps – which serve not merely as backdrops but as mirrors to the characters' tumultuous inner states. The Creature’s lamentations, his yearning for acceptance and love, highlight the Romantic emphasis on intense personal feeling and the tragic consequences of its suppression or denial. The very creation of life, a feat beyond ordinary human capacity, places the narrative firmly within the Romantic fascination with the supernatural and the boundless potential of human endeavor, even when that potential leads to destruction.
In contrast, Flaubert's Madame Bovary offers a starkly different vision, rooted in the principles of Realism. The novel meticulously details the provincial life of Emma Bovary, a doctor's wife trapped in a monotonous existence. Flaubert’s prose is characterized by its objectivity and restraint, eschewing grand pronouncements or overt emotional appeals. Instead, he presents Emma's discontent and her futile attempts to escape boredom through adulterous affairs and extravagant purchases with a detached, almost clinical precision. The narrative focuses on the banality of her surroundings – the dusty market town, the suffocating domesticity – and the predictable trajectory of her choices. Unlike the Romantic hero driven by grand passions, Emma is consumed by a desire for romantic ideals gleaned from sentimental novels, a critique of how unrealistic expectations can lead to disillusionment and ruin. Flaubert’s detailed descriptions of furniture, clothing, and social customs serve to anchor the story in tangible reality, emphasizing the everyday constraints that shape his characters’ lives. The novel's critical stance towards bourgeois society and its superficial values is a hallmark of Realism, which sought to expose the often-unpleasant truths beneath the surface of ordinary life.
The contrasting approaches to character and plot further underscore the divergence between these movements. Romantic protagonists are often exceptional individuals, artists, rebels, or outcasts, grappling with profound existential questions. Their struggles are internal, driven by unique psychological or philosophical motivations. The Creature in Frankenstein, a being of unnatural origin, embodies this isolation and his narrative arc is a powerful exploration of identity and the human condition from an outsider's perspective. Realist characters, however, are typically ordinary people, defined by their social class, occupation, and environment. Their conflicts arise from societal pressures, economic limitations, and the mundane realities of daily existence. Emma Bovary’s tragedy stems not from a grand philosophical struggle but from her inability to reconcile her romantic fantasies with the dull reality of her marriage and social standing. Flaubert’s plot unfolds with a sense of inevitability, charting Emma’s gradual descent into debt and despair through a series of realistic, albeit ultimately tragic, events.
Ultimately, the shift from Romanticism to Realism in 19th-century literature reflects a broader cultural evolution. As industrialization progressed and scientific thought gained prominence, there was a growing inclination to scrutinize the material world and societal structures rather than retreat into idealized visions or introspective emotional exploration. While Romanticism sought to capture the transcendent and the sublime, Realism aimed to reflect the tangible and the commonplace, often with a critical eye. Frankenstein and Madame Bovary, though separated by just over three decades, represent distinct moments in this literary transition, showcasing the enduring power of both imaginative idealism and unvarnished truth in literature.