¶ … Feet of Jesus, a Work of Realism
Helena Viramontes' book, From Under the Feet of Jesus, is a novel that explores the difficulties of life that Chicanos faced in the United States from the 1930's through the 1970's. Her work is an exercise in realism as it does not trivialize the trials of Chicano life with grand political statements or symbolism. Instead, it is a very clean portrait of a family and their friends who are all attempting, at times desperately, to live their lives in a land that, more often than not, does not want them there. A realist work find the truth paramount. Viramontes faithfully reconstructs life in a series of pictures, that puts a perspective of reality, of truth, and of hopefulness for a people long suffering in this nation. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate the elements of realism in Viramontes' book and to explore its impact on the reader because of its realism.
The realist movement began in the mid 19th century. The realists believed that writing should be an accurate, not idealized, reflection of the material. Therefore, while many levels of truth may exist on both the ideal and metaphorical levels, the permanent...
Therefore, in order to create truth and beauty in literature, only a careful and faithful study of nature can be employed. There are several defining characteristics to realism. First, the subject is something that is part of the life of the author. These subjects come from the community in which the author lives and works. Second, realism employs language that is reflective of the true forms of communication, language, and diction that are common to the community (the details of Viramontes' book is clearly confirmed by "Chicano! Episode Four: Fighting for Political Power" and by Garrison). Third, the events of the work should be patterned on the natural flow of life, not a forced, unnatural structure made arbitrary under traditional novel forms. Forth, an attempt to focus the vision of the subject in such a way that all classes of people may be able to become involved in the story. Finally, through their vision into the life of the subject, the author must also achieve a psychological vision and understanding of the characters as well. Given these defining factors of realism, we can then apply their…
