Social Realism in Literature By Madelene WIGHTMAN A couple of weeks a o!

I deli"ered a lecture on Social realism in literature at t#e Institute for $ultural and %t#nic Studies& T#e talk opened a num'er of li"ely discussions around t#e topic& T#e purpose of t#is article is! in t#e first instance! to outline t#e lecture for t#ose w#o did not attend&

Secondly! to address and clarify some of t#e misconceptions w#ic# occurred durin t#e lecture& T#irdly! to add some ot#er important points w#ic# I did not e(pand upon durin t#e lecture due to time constraints&

W#en studyin Social realism in literature! it is important to first clarify t#e difference 'etween Socialist Realism and Social Realism as t#e terms are so close&

Socialist Realism is t#e sc#ool of realist art t#at #ad as its end! t#e furt#erance of oals of socialism)communism& It #eld t#at successful art s#ould depict and lorify t#e proletariat*s stru le toward social pro ress& Socialist Realism 'ecame t#e officially appro"ed form of art of t#e So"iet +nion& Since all means of production 'elon s to t#e state! so did art ,as it was a powerful means of propa anda-& T#e tendencies toward Socialist Realism 'e an in t#e late ./t# century& Ma(im Gorky*s no"el Mot#er is considered to 'e t#e first true work of Socialist Realism& By modern standards! it was a pretty awful piece of literature0 Social Realism! #owe"er! is not an official art and so allows su'1ecti"ity& It was ori inally an artistic mo"ement t#at depicts t#e daily stru les of t#e workin class&

Social Realism "erses $ritical Realism

T#e principal source of t#e su'1ect matter of works of Social Realism is made up of pro'lems linked wit# life! t#e work! t#ou #ts and actions of t#e people w#o are eit#er tryin to construct a socialist society or w#o are stru lin for t#eir ri #ts in capitalist! rat#er t#an socialist! countries&

Social Realist literature does not depict people from a $ritical Realist perspecti"e& $ritical realism puts oppressed and e(ploited people at t#e centre of its works! people for w#om we must #a"e pity! people w#o re'el only as indi"iduals! t#ose w#o are incapa'le of c#an in t#eir li"es and of 'uildin a new society& T#e literature of Social Realism! #owe"er! portrays t#e people as a reat! or anised force2 t#e creati"e and mo"in force of #istory& T#is literature s#ows t#at t#e 'road masses are t#ose w#o play t#e decisi"e role in #istorical e"ents& T#e mo"ement de"eloped lar ely as a reaction a ainst Romanticism&

T#e Romantics T#e Romantics were am'i"alent towards t#e 3real3 social world around t#em& T#ey were often politically and socially in"ol"ed! 'ut at t#e same time t#ey 'e an to distance t#emsel"es from t#e pu'lic& Hi # Romantic artists interpreted t#in s t#rou # t#eir own emotions! and t#ese emotions included social and political consciousness! one t#at reacted stron ly to oppression and in1ustice in t#e world& So artists sometimes took pu'lic stands! or wrote works wit# socially or politically oriented su'1ect matter& 4et at t#e same time! anot#er trend 'e an to emer e! as t#ey wit#drew more and more from w#at t#ey saw as t#e confinin 'oundaries of 'our eois life&

In t#eir pri"ate li"es! t#ey often asserted t#eir indi"iduality and differences in ways t#at were to t#e middle class a su'1ect of intense interest! 'ut also sometimes of #orror& ,3Not#in succeeds like e(cess!3 wrote 5scar Wilde! w#o! as a partial in#eritor of Romantic tendencies! seemed to en1oy s#ockin t#e 'our eois! 'ot# in #is literary and life styles&- Romanticism affirms intuition and ot#er modes of knowled e as e6ual or 'etter&

Scientific also assumes t#e principle of pro ress t#rou # science& 7#ilosop#ically t#is 'elief may 'e underpinned 'y empiricist or mec#anical materialist t#ou #t& Social critical policy and Social Realism em'odies t#e tension 'etween tec#nocracy and populism and 'etween scientific and romantic criticism&

S#ort #istory of Social Realism Geor e %liot*s Adam Bede is an e(ample of 8ictorian literature aimin to reflect Social Realism& As you will 'e aware! 8ictorian society was ri id in many ways! includin #a"in a 'ias a ainst women& A woman seekin to mo"e freely in t#e world of employment was often mocked and ridiculed& 9emales were e(pected to work in t#e #ouse and li"e in confined circles& In t#is no"el Geor e %liot represented a c#aracter

called :ina# Morris w#o was a Met#odist preac#er& W#en s#e 'ecomes a preac#er! s#e is indirectly ridiculed and criticised 'y t#e community& 4et :ina# Morris is 'eautiful in appearance and people listen to #er preac#in as t#ey are attracted to #er&

It soon 'ecomes apparent t#at t#e con re ation only o to listen to #er 'ecause t#ey want to see #er face& Many of t#ose attendin :ina# Morris*s preac#in were #ypocritical! under t#e mask of reli ious de"otion& %liot was "ery muc# concerned wit# moral issues in t#e no"el Adam Bede in t#e sense t#at morality is suc# ladder from w#ic# man can lead to t#e 'etter life& %liot didn*t 'elie"e in art for art*s sakes 'ut in art for morality*s sake& S#e spoke especially a'out "irtue and "ice&

8irtuous c#aracters s#ould 'e rewarded for t#eir moral conduct and w#o #a"e moral weakness was followed 'y punis#ment and sufferin &

:anis# writer! Geor Brandes! was an influential :anis# literary critic& His interpretations of suc# writers as Henrik I'sen! were credited wit# 'rin in Scandina"ian literature into mainstream %uropean culture& *A :oll;s House* 'y Henrik I'sen s#owed #ow #ards#ip a ed)c#an ed $#ristine Linde! w#o #a"in 1ust returned to #er #ometown! tells Nora all a'out #er unfortunate life& Married wit#out lo"e! and widowed for t#e past t#ree years! $#ristine e(periences t#e #ards#ips of a woman w#o was forced to make #er own way& S#e #as independently faced life*s c#allen e! alt#ou # s#e too sou #t protection 'y marryin for t#e sake of financial con"enience& Her #ars# e(perience as a widow w#o was forced to earn #er own li"eli#ood stands in s#arp contrast to t#e insulated and fri"olous life w#ic# Nora leads& Ha"in learned! ,t#rou # sufferin -! t#e "alue of trut#ful #uman relations#ips! $#ristine is t#e first person to reco ni<e t#at Nora*s marria e is 'ased on deception&

T#is early Social Realist no"el! w#ic# s#ows women;s sufferin t#rou # Nora and $#ristine! re"eals t#e true impact of people suc# as Tor"ald& It s#ows t#e lack of serious relations#ips in marria es and #ow appearances were more important t#an su'stance& Naturally t#ere were numerous ot#er early Social Realist no"els produced around t#is time 'y many people& 4et a study into t#ese for t#e purpose of t#is article would 'e redundant&

At t#is point in t#e ori inal lecture! I introduced early Sri Lankan Social Realist no"els& Howe"er! t#at topic deser"es a w#ole feature dedicated to it and I do not wis# to do any in1ustice to t#e mo"ement or t#e aut#ors 'y tryin to include it in t#is s#ort feature&

W#y is a #istorical study of Social Realism in Literature e"en rele"ant today= Is it not completely outdated as a mo"ement=

T#is is a ood 6uestion and one w#ic#! I am sure! some of t#e attendees at my recent lecture asked t#emsel"es& It is interestin to remem'er t#at t#at ori inally people were outra ed 'y Social Realism in Literature& T#is meant t#at at t#at time it was a >#ot topic;);new and darin ! mo"ement; and was easily distin uis#a'le from t#e pre"ious types of alle orical story tellin &

Howe"er! today in all modern societies! Social Realism is so intrinsic to our story tellin t#at we #a"e! per#aps! ceased to reco nise it for w#at it is0 Most! if not e"ery! de"eloped society on eart# #as its fa"ourite soap operas& %(amples include *$oronation Street* and *%astenders* ,+?-! *Nei #'ours* and *Home and Away* ,Australia-! *$SI* or *T#e West Win * ,+SA- to name 1ust a few& Latin America! T#e Gulf States and Sout# Asia all #a"e numerous T8 dramas and soaps! w#ic# depict one reality& T#at is to say t#at none of t#ese stories s#ow all realities! nor can t#ey depict t#e su'1ecti"e reality of e"ery indi"idual w#o li"es in a similar en"ironment to t#at of t#e c#aracters& Howe"er! t#e fact remains t#at millions of people tune into t#ese pro rammes e"ery day and relate deeply to t#e c#aracters&

>Some series! suc# as >$SI; or >T#e West Win ; portray a reality t#at is actually so far remo"ed from our immediate e(perience t#at we stop to ask if t#is too! really is Social Realism& I would ar ue t#at it is! i"en t#at t#e series; seek to portray t#at w#ic# is! for certain sectors of society! a reality& *T#e West Win ; is 'ased on real e(periences of W#ite House staff and presents an inside "iew of some of t#e dilemmas faced 'y +S 7residents and t#eir staff& $SI! Wakin t#e :ead ,+?- and numerous similar crime and forensic police dramas represent a real process& T#ese are areas of e(pertise w#ic# t#e a"era e person knows little of! yet t#ese pro rammes portray t#e reality of a process t#at is also a personal reality for t#ose in"ol"ed in t#is process&

A scene from Titanic A ain! w#at are Hollywood Block'usters if not works of Social Realism= W#at makes t#em 'lock'usters and w#y do people o to see t#em time and a ain! remem'erin t#eir stories for years= It is undou'tedly 'ecause t#e masses see somet#in in t#ese films

w#ic# speaks deeply of t#eir own li"es! or t#eir #opes! dreams! dou'ts and an(ieties& T#e reason t#ey are uni"ersally popular in a way t#at ot#er films are not is t#at t#ey speak to a lot of people in a lot of different ways& Less popular! successful films speak to a smaller roup of indi"iduals2 i&e& t#ey only to portray a couple of different realities&

As I #a"e 'een writin t#is! I #a"e asked myself w#y Ste"en Spiel'ur ;s Block'uster >Titanic; was so popular and is s#own on +? T8 e"ery $#ristmas& I #ad an ac6uaintance w#o once told me #e #ad seen t#e film .@ times0 T#ere are clearly elements of t#e film t#at speak to people deeply& It could 'e t#at people en1oy watc#in a disaster unfoldin wit# #orrified fascination& After all! t#e sinkin of t#e Titanic really #appened and most of us can;t ima ine t#e dept#s of sufferin in"ol"ed in t#e prospect of dyin on a so called >unsinka'le s#ip;& It is a Social Realist piece of >art; first and foremost 'ecause it is a'out a real disaster&

Anot#er way in w#ic# t#e film is socially realist is t#at it speaks of t#e #u e di"ision 'etween ric# and poor) t#e pri"ile ed and underpri"ile ed in Britain and America in t#e early ./AAs& 4et anot#er ma1or element t#at appeals to people from e"ery society is t#e lo"e story& 7ersonally! t#is was t#e part of t#e film t#at I found least con"incin & After all! t#ere was suc# a #u e di"ision 'etween steera e and first class t#at in reality! t#e two would ne"er #a"e met& 4et it is per#aps t#e #i #ly unlikely element t#at appeals to people so muc#& It is t#e idea t#at may'e some'ody somew#ere is e(periencin t#is kind of unlikely situation2 t#e audience wonder if t#is rat#er ma ical e"ent actually reflects some'ody;s reality& W#at is most unlikely is t#at 'uried deep in t#e #uman psyc#e is t#e #ope! lon in and 'elief t#at true lo"e pre"ails and o"ercomes all o'stacles& We deeply 'elie"e t#is to 'e a true possi'ility! so w#en it appears on screen! it confirms t#is 'elief&

W#ere does Science 9iction fit into Social Realism= T#ere are two types of Science 9iction! one w#ic# 'ears no relation to Social Realism and one w#ic# does& T#e first cate ory of Science 9iction is myt#Bmakin & T#is includes stories suc# as Star Wars! t#e Green Lantern! Star Trek! Star ate! Battlestar Galactica ,w#ic# is essentially a'out reli ion- to name only a #andful& 5'"iously! myt#Bmakin science fiction #as little or no relations#ip to Social Realism& Howe"er! t#e ot#er type of science fiction is dystopian&:ystopian fiction is! in some respects! related to realism& It is one of t#ose places w#ere lines 'ecome 'lurred& T#is is 'ecause almost all deal wit# t#ose t#in s w#ic# are t#eoretically possi'le ,t#ou # unlikely- in t#e future& T#ey also feature possi'le future societies! w#ere #umans can li"e fore"er or w#ere cy'or s #a"e replaced us& %arly e(amples of t#is are Bra"e New World ,Aldous Hu(ley! ./CD-! ./EF ,Geor e 5rwell! ./F/-! A $lockwork 5ran e ,Ant#ony Bur ess no"el! ./GD-)Stanley

?u'rick film&

>:r W#o; is an o'"ious e(ample of Social Realism 'lended wit# :ystopic SciB9i w#ic# #as 'een runnin from t#e ./GAs to t#e present day& T#e :octor;s assistants are typically li"in satisfactory! yet rat#er mundane li"es in London 'efore #e finds t#em& Be#ind t#e mundane are aliens li"in wit# t#e #uman race and a Time Lord w#o looks like a ,rat#er #andsome- man! yet tra"els t#rou # time and space and w#o lo"es t#e #uman race& I would su est t#at t#is is t#e key to t#e success of t#e story2 t#e mi(ture of w#at is essentially Social Realist soap wit# a lar e dose of :ystopic SciB9i t#rown in for ood measure&

H8irtual RealismI= It #as 'een su ested t#at Social Realism is now firmly in t#e past and as suc#! 'ears no relation to t#e art! literature or film of today& T#e same people su est t#at H8irtual RealismI #as! in fact! replaced it& I assume t#at t#is refers to t#e 'rand of :ystopic SciB9i t#at I #a"e mentioned a'o"e& Howe"er! I would su est t#at t#is 'rand of storyBtellin only appeals to a small sector of t#e population& I also 'elie"e t#at t#e success 'e#ind it lies in t#e element of Social Realism found wit#in it& 9or e(ample! t#e reason >:r W#o; #as en1oyed new found success is lar ely due to t#e fact t#at t#e assistants keep fallin passionately in lo"e wit# a >man; t#at t#ey can;t #a"e& T#is is somet#in t#at most people can relate to and is t#erefore Socially Realist&>T#e Terminator; and its offBs#oot ,>T#eSara# $onnor $#ronicles;- are yet anot#er e(ample of t#is& Alt#ou # t#ey are futuristic tales of a possi'le lo'al takeBo"er 'y Skynet ,possi'le 'ut unlikely-! t#ey are a'out t#e pli #t of a few #uman 'ein s 'urdened wit# w#at seems like an impossi'le task& Need I say more a'out t#e connection wit# Social Realism=

$onclusion 9ar from 'ein dead! 'uried and irrele"ant! I 'elie"e t#at Social Realism in Literature continues to t#ri"e and t#at it will last t#e course& I t#ink t#at it will outli"e Ma ical Realism! :ystopic SciB9i! Alle ory and e"eryt#in in 'etween& T#is is 'ecause essentially it continues to 'e t#e means 'y w#ic# we e(plore our li"es and tell our personal stories& It is t#e means 'y w#ic# we relate to ot#ers w#o superficially we appear to #a"e not#in in common wit#& It is also t#e means 'y w#ic# we e(amine our #opes and fears and understand our moti"es and new possi'ilities for oursel"es& 5nly Social Realism in Literature and film can ac#ie"e t#is in ways t#at none of t#e ot#er enres mentioned #ere are a'le to&