Literary Movements

..:: Syllabus 6th Semester ::..

 Realism
The movement of realism began in the mid-nineteenth century in reaction to the highly subjective
approach of romanticism, which was produced in Europe and the United States from about 1840 until
1890s. Realism is the literary term applied to compositions that aim at a faithful representation of reality,
interpretations of the actualities of any aspect of life.

 Existentialism
Existentialism is a broader sense of 20th century philosophy that is centered upon the analysis of existence.
Existentialism is a philosophical approach to understand human existence and experiences. It is based on
the assumption that individuals are free and are responsible for their own choices and actions.
Existentialism demands human struggle to find their purpose in life.

 Naturalism
Naturalism is a theory in literature which emphasizes the role of environment upon human characters. It
is an extreme form of realism which arose in the early 20th century. Rather than focusing on the internal
qualities of their characters, authors called out the effects of heredity and environment, outside forces, on
humanity.

 Absurdism
Absurdism is a philosophical concept that refers to man’s attempt to find reason in his life, which is
prevented by his humanely limited constraints. Absurdism is related to existentialism, and the term has its
roots in the nineteenth century.

 Symbolism
Symbolism is the practice or art of using an object or a word to represent an abstract idea. An action,
person, place, word, or object can all have a symbolic meaning. When an author wants to suggest a certain
mood or emotion, he can also use symbolism to hint at it, rather than just blatantly saying it.

 Feminism
Feminism refers to a diverse variety of beliefs, ideas, movements, and agendas for action. The usual and
most basic definition of feminism is that it is the belief that women should be equal to men and currently
are not. It also refers to any actions, especially organized, that promote changes to society to end patterns
which disadvantage or women. Feminism addresses economic, social, political and cultural disparities of
power and rights.

 Post-Modernism
Postmodernism isn't a philosophy as we typically think of philosophies. It isn't a single, well thought out
philosophical system which seeks to define and answer the big questions of life. Postmodernism is the
mindset of Western culture in the latter half of the twentieth century. Postmodernism is best defined as an
"attitude". An attitude that celebrates the demise of reason and Absolute Truth. (Christian Scholar's
Review Winter 1996). Postmodern ideology rejects the authority of reason and views all claims to
objective truth to be dangerous.

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 Neo-Historicism
New Historicism is a literary theory based on the idea that literature should be studied and interpreted
within the context of both the history of the author and the history of the critic. Based on the literary
criticism of Stephen Greenblatt and influenced by the philosophy of Michel Foucault, New Historicism
acknowledges not only that a work of literature is influenced by its author's times and circumstances, but
that the critic's response to that work is also influenced by his environment, beliefs, and prejudices.

 Prominent symbols and their meanings

Symbolism in Literature
Symbolism is often used by writers to enhance their writing. Symbolism can give a literary work
more richness and color and can make the meaning of the work deeper.
In literature, symbolism can take many forms including:
 A figure of speech where an object, person, or situation has another meaning other than its literal
meaning.
 The actions of a character, word, action, or event that have a deeper meaning in the context of the
whole story.

Metaphors as Symbolism
A metaphor is a figure of speech that uses symbolism.
• It compares two things that are not similar and shows that they actually do have something in
common.
• In a metaphor, there is an additional meaning to a word. This makes it an example of symbolism.
Symbolism is found in colors:
• Black is used to represent death or evil.
• White stands for life and purity.

Flowers as Symbols
Even flowers can have a symbolism:
• Roses stand for romance.
• Violets represent shyness.

 Post-Colonialism
Literally, postcolonialism refers to the period following the decline of colonialism, e.g., the end or
lessening of domination by European empires. Although the term postcolonialism generally refers to the
period after colonialism, the distinction is not always made.

 Marxism/Marxist Criticism
Marxism is an economic and social system based upon the political and economic theories of Karl Marx
and Friedrich Engels. Marxism is a theory in which class struggle is a central element in the analysis of
social change in Western societies. Marxism is the system of socialism of which the dominant feature is
public ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange.
According to Marx a class is defined by the relations of its members to the means of production. He
proclaimed that history is the chronology of class struggles, wars, and uprisings. Under capitalism, Marx
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 continues, the workers, in order to support their families are paid a bare minimum wage or salary. Marx
believed capitalism is grounded in commodities, which are things bought and sold. In Marx's view, an
employee's labor is a form of commodity.
Classical Marxism is a variety of Socialism and provides the intellectual base for various forms of
Communism. It was conceived (as to some extent was Anarchism) as a reaction against the rampant
Capitalism and Liberalism of 19th Century Europe. It is grounded in Materialism and it is committed to
political practice as the end goal of all thought.
In Marx's view, economic factors and relationships between social classes are closely interrelated. While
laborers are focused on basic survival, capitalist business owners are concerned with acquiring more and
more money. According to Marx, this economic polarity creates social problems that are eventually
remedied through a social and economic revolution.

 Post-Colonialism and its Key terms

Literally, postcolonialism refers to the period following the decline of colonialism, e.g., the end or
lessening of domination by European empires. Although the term postcolonialism generally refers to the
period after colonialism, the distinction is not always made. In its use as a critical approach,
postcolonialism refers to "a collection of theoretical and critical strategies used to examine the culture
(literature, politics, history, and so forth) of former colonies of the European empires, and their relation to
the rest of the world". Among the many challenges facing postcolonial writers are the attempt both to
resurrect their culture and to combat preconceptions about their culture.

Key Terms:
 Alterity
Alterity is lack of identification with some part of one's personality or one's community,
differentness, otherness.
 Diaspora
It is used to refer to any people or ethnic population forced or induced to leave their traditional
ethnic homelands, being dispersed throughout other parts of the world, and the ensuing
developments in their dispersal and culture.
 Eurocentrism
Eurocentrism is the practice, conscious or otherwise, of placing emphasis on European (and,
generally, Western) concerns, culture and values at the expense of those of other cultures. It is an
instance of ethnocentrism, perhaps especially relevant because of its alignment with current and
past real power structures in the world.
 Hybridity
A term used in postcolonial theory, in cultural studies (qq.v.) and, most recently, in discussions
relating to globalization. Hybridity is the characteristic of a culture or a cultural form produced by
the interaction of two (or possibly more) separate 'parent' cultures or forms.
 Imperialism
Imperialism is the policy of extending the control or authority over foreign entities as a means of
acquisition and/or maintenance of empires, either through direct territorial control or through
indirect methods of exerting control on the politics and/or economy of other countries.

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 Feminism
Feminism refers to a diverse variety of beliefs, ideas, movements, and agendas for action. The usual and
most basic definition of feminism is that it is the belief that women should be equal to men and
currently are not. It also refers to any actions, especially organized, that promote changes to society to end
patterns which disadvantage or women. Feminism addresses economic, social, political and cultural
disparities of power and rights.

Feminism sees sexism, which disadvantages and/or oppresses those identified as women, and assumes
such sexism is not desirable and should be ameliorated or dismantled. Feminism sees that those identified
as men experience advantages in a sexist system, but also sees that sexism can be detrimental to men.

The core similarities among those using the term for their own beliefs, ideas, movements and agendas for
action are as follows:

a. Feminism consists of ideas and beliefs about what culture is like for women just because they are
women, compared to what the world is like for men just because they are men. In ethical terms,
this form or aspect of feminism is descriptive. The assumption in feminism is that women are not
treated equally to men, and that women are disadvantaged in comparison to men.

b. Feminism also includes ideas and beliefs about how culture can be and should be different—goals,
ideals, and visions. In ethical terms, this form or aspect of feminism is prescriptive.

c. Feminism includes ideas and beliefs about the importance and value of moving from A to B—a
statement of commitment to behavior and action to produce that change.

d. Feminism also refers to a movement—a collection of loosely connected groups and individuals
committed to organized action, including changes in behavior of members of the movement and
persuasion of others outside the movement to make change.

In other words, feminism describes a culture in which women, because they are women, are treated
differently than men, and that, in that difference of treatment, women are at a disadvantage; feminism
assumes that such treatment is cultural and thus possible to change and not simply "the way the world is
and must be"; feminism looks to a different culture as possible, and values moving towards that culture;
and feminism consists of activism, individually and in groups, to make personal and social change towards
that more desirable culture.

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