Discuss with reference to material from at least two seminar sessions. As with most media terms and genres, realism comes under scrutiny when it comes to actually defining its form and its characteristics. This essay will examine the term and offer examples to illustrate how various writers and film directors have interpreted it.
Different people interpret the term realism as having different characteristics.
The division between the classes at this time offers a reason for the content of most realist texts, which focus on the story of the underdog. According to Karl Marx, problems within society came down to the subordination of the working class, and their struggle for survival. Productions such as Cathy Come Home , Made in Britain and Boys from the Blackstuff have attempted to show that there are other points of view, it is just that they have been suppressed due to the position of the dominant ruling class, taking precedence over the working class. Saturday night and Sunday Morning is a good example of this, with the main character, Arthur being at the centre of issues of violence, adultery and abortion. This implies that in realist texts we are shown the problems of society in narratives that focus on personal events, actions and consequences.