Domestic realism is a genre of fiction that focuses on the perspective of women in domestic situations, popular in the Victorian era. Jane Austen is a well-known writer in this genre. The works often feature a heroine with specific character traits. Modern parodies fuse the genre with contemporary elements. Studying domestic realism can help understand its influence on later works.
The literary genre called domestic realism is a category of fiction that focuses on the perspective of a certain type of woman; this type of work, common in the Victorian era, responded to specific ideas about that era’s notion of female virtue. Some have called this type of literature “fiction for women.” In calling this “domestic realism,” the word “domestic” implies the role of a woman in a domestic situation, which is very much related to the Victorian era.
Home fiction writers have historically been women. Some examples of writers in this genre include Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Jane Austen is one of the best known writers of domestic realism. While the works of other Victorian-era writers have largely become obsolete for today’s readers, Austen’s novels, such as Pride and Prejudice, are still taught in schools, and her work has received new attention through a series of parodies modern films widely sold in today’s bookstores that include horror elements.
Experts have identified a general set of criteria that pertain to most domestic realism. These works focus on the attributes of the female, often dividing female characters into those with heroine status and others who are foils for more virtuous or desirable characters. Some have referred to an archetypal heroine role called a “practical woman,” in which character traits such as modesty and clear-headed reasoning are tied into the heroine’s character. Other traits, such as willful ignorance and a prima donna mentality, are used to illustrate the lack of this female heroism.
Domestic realism can consist of the novel or the short story. Many pundits would say that novels in this classic genre have had the most staying power over the years. In the example above, many elements of the original genre shine through in the modern parodies, where the juxtaposition of the virtuous woman with contemporary plot elements (such as zombie attacks) provides something of a “fusion” of Victorian domestic realism with modern literary conventions. .
Research into domestic realism can be useful for today’s literature students. Schools and colleges still teach some of these works, and teachers may carry out assignments related to this genre, often emphasizing their influence on later works. Alternatively, the study of domestic realism can help readers understand later responses to this Victorian idea in more modern works.
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