2.the primary conventions of realism are its deflation of ambition and passion, its anti-heroism, its tendency to see all people and things within large containing social organizations and, hence, its apparently digressive preoccupation with surfaces,

Hardy’s Jude the Obscure and Dickens’ Great Expectations as Realist Novels George Levine (Mckeon 2000) quoted in the book, Theory of the Novel: A Historical Approach, “ The primary conventions of realism are its deflation of ambition and passion, its anti-heroism, its tendency to see all people and things within large containing social organizations and, hence, its apparently digressive preoccupation with surfaces, things, particularities social manners.” In his book, Levine reasoned that the standards of a Realist novel should be recognized. Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens are examples of Realist novels that conform to the conventions Levine said in his book.
A Realist novel according to Levine should not use extensive literary forms but instead ordinary (Mckeon 2000). This does not imply that a Realist novel is settled to the ordinary things in life. He only suggests that a Realist novel, although a fiction, is more to life. In the work of Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure, the protagonist Jude was struggling to have an education. However, he found out that although having the books in language, it is not that easy to attain education. He learned that education takes years. Also the novel’s setup was in the countryside where ordinary people with ordinary jobs live. Jude, also is just a poor boy (Hardy 1994).
Analysing the plot, characters and setup of the novel, it just pictures the lives of ordinary people which is more to reality. The novel however digs deeper to the morality of people and irony of life. As the story of Jude went on in the novel, he attained education and went back to his hometown. He met Arabella Donn who is a pig-breeder’s daughter and ended up falling in love to her (Hardy 1994). In this part, it can be analysed that no matter how educated a person is, he still commits mistakes. Even if Jude attained education, he still cannot do the right decision because he knew that Arabella Donn was not suited for her yet he wanted to marry her. This happening on the novel justifies itself as a Realist novel conforming to the convention Levine explained on his book.
Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations on the other hand is an example of American literature that is also a Realist Novel. It can be compared to Hardy’s Jude the Obscure because both literary pieces have a protagonist who came from poor background and hostile upbringing from relatives.
In the Great Expectations, Pip, the protagonist of the novel struggled from a secret with a convict. It can also be said that the novel has a twist of suspense because Pip’s encounter with the convicts were a bit thrilling. The novel has two setups which include the early background of Pip in the lower class of the society, and the house of Miss Havisham (Dickens 1867). Analysing the novel especially to the part where Pip had his experience of the high society, Dickens threw the reality by exposing the great differences between the lower class and upper class of the society through the characters of Estella and Miss Havisham.
In the end of the story which happened in a pub, Pip was confronted of his past by a mystery man. Pip was bothered that his past will be forever following him although he was planning to take a good step to be uncommon by accepting education (Dickens 1867). The story of Pip is an example of what’s really happening to society. It deviates from the non-realistic events in life. The story was just about an ordinary person with the desire to be upgraded in the society but was faced with the difficulties of life which are true to life. This novel can said as a Realist novel because analysing it, the events, characters, plot conform to Levine’s conventions of a Realist novel. Even if the novel is about a boy with dreams, the story ended up in the realization that dreams don’t happen that easy and past will always be a part of your life no matter where you go.
George Levine’s statement about the conventions of a Realist novel can be seen on the two novels by Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens. And the good point about it is that Hardy is an English author while Dickens is an American author.
References
Dickens, C. (1867) Great expectations [Internet], The Project Gutenberg. Available from < http://www. gutenberg. org/files/1400/1400-h/1400-h. htm> [Accessed 23 April 2014].
Haardy, T. (1994) Jude the obscure [Internet], The Project Gutenberg. Available from < http://www. gutenberg. org/cache/epub/153/pg153. txt> [Accessed 23 April 2014].
Mckeon, M. ed. (2000) Theory of the novel: a historical approach [Internet], Google Books. Available [Accessed 23 April 2014].