Approaching a literary text through a historical and socio-cultural perspective, combined with a thematic and analytical approach to realism.
The course for the second semester of the second year adopts a historical (diachronic) perspective. It begins with “The Historical Foundations of Realism: From the Renaissance to the Enlightenment”, which shows that literature is not studied in isolation but is the result of long-term intellectual and cultural developments. This approach situates literary texts within broader historical transformations such as humanism, rationalism, and early modern social change. The progression of lectures from the eighteenth century to the nineteenth century and across different national contexts (England and America) reinforces a chronological understanding of the emergence and evolution of realism.
The programme follows a socio-cultural and contextual perspective. Each lecture connects literary works to sociocultural realities in specific geographical contexts.
Thus, exploring “Realism and Social Critique”, as well as realism's "Regionalism and the Local Colour", with an inclusion of the economic, social and moral dimensions.
Thirdly, the programme incorporates a formal and thematic literary analysis of realism. It focuses on key forms and techniques of realist writing, such as:
• The development of the novel (Defoe, Richardson, Fielding)
• social realism and regionalism with Charles Dickens and Mark Twain
• Psychological realism (Henry James)
• Naturalistic and social determinism (Stephen Crane, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets)
This indicates attention to narrative techniques, characterisation, and literary style, especially how realism represents human experience.
Finally, there is also a comparative and transatlantic perspective, as the programme moves from English realism (Defoe, Dickens) to American realism (Twain, James, Crane). This suggests an understanding of realism as an international movement shaped by different cultural contexts.
The course teaches literature through a combination of:
• a historical approach (tracing the development of realism over time),
• a socio-cultural approach (linking literature to social, economic, and cultural contexts), and
• a formal/thematic approach (analysing literary techniques and themes).
The philosophical foundation should include:
• Empiricism (observation and experience)
• Rationalism/Enlightenment thought (reason and analysis)
• Positivism (scientific approach to society)
• Determinism (social and environmental constraints)
• Utilitarianism (Victorian social thought)
• Protestant ethic / capitalist rationality (work and discipline)
• Pragmatism (American realism)
• Psychological philosophy (consciousness and perception)
• Materialism (social and economic forces)
The course for the second semester of the second year adopts a historical (diachronic) perspective. It begins with “The Historical Foundations of Realism: From the Renaissance to the Enlightenment”, which shows that literature is not studied in isolation but is the result of long-term intellectual and cultural developments. This approach situates literary texts within broader historical transformations such as humanism, rationalism, and early modern social change. The progression of lectures from the eighteenth century to the nineteenth century and across different national contexts (England and America) reinforces a chronological understanding of the emergence and evolution of realism.
The programme follows a socio-cultural and contextual perspective. Each lecture connects literary works to sociocultural realities in specific geographical contexts.
Thus, exploring “Realism and Social Critique”, as well as realism's "Regionalism and the Local Colour", with an inclusion of the economic, social and moral dimensions.
Thirdly, the programme incorporates a formal and thematic literary analysis of realism. It focuses on key forms and techniques of realist writing, such as:
• The development of the novel (Defoe, Richardson, Fielding)
• social realism and regionalism with Charles Dickens and Mark Twain
• Psychological realism (Henry James)
• Naturalistic and social determinism (Stephen Crane, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets)
This indicates attention to narrative techniques, characterisation, and literary style, especially how realism represents human experience.
Finally, there is also a comparative and transatlantic perspective, as the programme moves from English realism (Defoe, Dickens) to American realism (Twain, James, Crane). This suggests an understanding of realism as an international movement shaped by different cultural contexts.
The course teaches literature through a combination of:
• a historical approach (tracing the development of realism over time),
• a socio-cultural approach (linking literature to social, economic, and cultural contexts), and
• a formal/thematic approach (analysing literary techniques and themes).
The philosophical foundation should include:
• Empiricism (observation and experience)
• Rationalism/Enlightenment thought (reason and analysis)
• Positivism (scientific approach to society)
• Determinism (social and environmental constraints)
• Utilitarianism (Victorian social thought)
• Protestant ethic / capitalist rationality (work and discipline)
• Pragmatism (American realism)
• Psychological philosophy (consciousness and perception)
• Materialism (social and economic forces)