Foundations of Literary Analysis and Realism

Identify and describe the key elements of narrative fiction: plot, character, setting, point of view, and theme.

Define literary realism and situate it historically within 19th-century Europe.

Describe the social and economic conditions (industrialization, urbanization, rising middle class) that gave rise to literary realism.

Explain the philosophical underpinnings of realism, including positivism, empiricism, and materialism.

List the defining characteristics of realist fiction: verisimilitude, detailed social observation, psychological depth, and ordinary subjects.

Distinguish literary realism from romanticism by contrasting their aims, subjects, and techniques.