Many critics have suggested that there is no clear distinction between realism and its related late nineteenth-century movement, naturalism . Put rather too simplistically, one rough distinction made by critics is that realism espousing a deterministic philosophy and focusing on the lower classes is considered naturalism. As the United States grew rapidly after the Civil War, the increasing rates of democracy and literacy, the rapid growth in industrialism and urbanization, an expanding population base due to immigration, and a relative rise in middle-class affluence provided a fertile literary environment for readers interested in understanding these rapid shifts in culture. Renders reality closely and in comprehensive detail. Events will usually be plausible.
Realistic novels avoid the sensational, dramatic elements of naturalistic novels and romances.
Interior or psychological realism a variant form. William Dean Howells promoted writers of realism as well as those writing local color fiction. The realism of James and Twain was critically acclaimed in the twentieth century. To cite this page on a Works Cited page according to current MLA guidelines , supply the correct dates and use the suggested format below. Literary Movements .