Realism in 19th century English novels: Frankenstein, Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, Wuthering Heights

Realism in Literature

Realism and the objective interpretation of life in the works of Mary Shelley, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Emily Bronte

The birth of the genre of realism in literature in 19th century marked the prevalence of an objective and highly rational society, one that was more concerned with observations about everyday life rather than expressing one's subjective sentiments about life. In realism, society was able to convey the dominance of empiricism and science in the said period, downplaying human ideals and morals and highlighting the mundane, everyday experiences of people. When once, emotions and subjective interpretation of life had been the theme of most literary works, 19th century literature was characterized for its depiction of writers' everyday observations in life. Realist literary works did not discuss the importance of a virtue or moral action, nor glorify the kind of life one ought to live; instead, these works chronicle the important changes in society that was happening during this period of increased rationality and science.

This paper discusses how realism is reflected in the works of Mary Shelley ("Frankenstein"), Charles Dickens ("Great Expectations"), Jane Austen ("Pride and Prejudice"), and Emily Bronte ("Wuthering Heights"). Through these works, the authors illustrated the theme of social change by depicting the everyday lives of people who had been part of 19th century society. These social changes included the following: prevalence of unnatural reproduction and science in "Frankenstein"; breakage of social class divisions in "Great Expectations" and "Wuthering Heights"; and women empowerment in "Pride and Prejudice." In the texts that follow, these social changes are shown in relation to the realist perspective adopted by the authors of these novels.

One of the remarkable themes that emerged in Shelley's "Frankenstein" was the apparent dominance of science over nature, as shown in Frankenstein's obsession to create a human, called the Creature, through unnatural means. The life of Frankenstein as the creator of another human was a reflection of Shelley's speculation about the path that society's going to move onto as science becomes more invasive and influential in people's lives. Science put into humanity's hands unprecedented power to accomplish things that were deemed impossible centuries ago; humans were literally given the chance to control nature, its elements, and all natural processes associated with it. As reflected in Frankenstein's thoughts in creating the Creature, he had acknowledged science's power and the potential power that he can have by using it according to his self-interest: "Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through...A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me." This passage illustrated effectively humanity's true nature, as Shelley had rightfully observed and predicted: presented with the ability to create new things and organisms, humans would then aspire to become more than human beings and become creators, 'gods' of humanity. This was Shelley's observation and the reality she experienced during her time.

Dickens and Bronte, meanwhile, experienced reality through social change, in the same way that Shelley had observed the changing times of 19th century society. However, while Shelley contemplated about the dominance of science over nature in "Frankenstein," both Dickens and Bronte reflected the breaking down of class divisions happening in the society, illustrated through the novels "Great Expectations" and "Wuthering Heights," respectively.

Dickens depicted the dissolution of class divisions through the characters of Pip and Estella, individuals who represented the underprivileged and the elite classes, respectively. In the novel, readers witnessed how Pip's ascent to a higher social class became possible through a secret benefactor, while Estella's higher stature eventually led to her poverty when Miss Havisham died. The once poor Pip eventually attained a better life, while Estella, once rich, became imprisoned in an abusive relationship with Drummle: "I had heard of her as leading a most unhappy life, and as being separated from her husband, who had used her with great cruelty..." In a similar vein, Bronte proved how 19th century was the period where class divisions were no longer stable and class mobility was not only encouraged, but was also possible. Heathcliff and Cathy Earnshaw's lives in Wuthering Heights illustrated the shifts of fortune that befell their lives, where the once rich Earnshaw family found themselves poorer than Heathcliff, who was once an orphan and maltreated servant in the Earnshaw family. This reversal of fortunes, like Pip and Estella's lives in Dickens' novel, highlighted the Bronte's observation of a social change happening in her society, thereby resulting to the story of traditional people in the midst of a changing society in the novel "Wuthering Heights."