Realism vs. Naturalism — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 22, 2023
Realism focuses on depicting everyday activities and life, primarily as it is, while Naturalism is a more detailed, scientific analysis of every aspect of a person’s environment, heredity, and social conditions.
Difference Between Realism and Naturalism
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Realism and Naturalism are both artistic and literary movements that emerged as a reaction against romanticism, emphasizing depiction of reality. Realism aims to present life as it is, capturing everyday activities and experiences without romantic embellishment or dramatic exaggeration. It focuses on characters and their environments with a particular interest in the middle class and its problems. The primary aim of realism is to represent life accurately, with attention to detail and an emphasis on the ordinary, commonplace, and everyday.
Naturalism, on the other hand, takes realism a step further by applying a more detailed, scientific analysis of every aspect of a person's life, emphasizing the influence of environment, heredity, and social conditions. It usually presents human behavior as determined by these factors, often portraying characters with a lack of control over their destinies. Naturalism explores the underlying forces influencing human behavior and tends to dissect the subject's reaction to his or her environment with detailed precision.
The roots of realism can be found in the mid-19th century, emphasizing objectivity and the rejection of imaginative conjecture. Realists aimed to represent the truth with fidelity to real life, focusing on believable characters and situations. It relies on observation and portrays the experiences of everyday life, avoiding the fantastical elements found in romantic works.
Naturalism evolved from realism, extending from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. It delves deeply into the environmental, biological, and socioeconomic influences on character and circumstance, focusing on the inevitability of fate and the inherent struggle of human existence. Naturalism often portrays the darker, harsher side of life, exploring the impact of environment and heredity on human nature and behavior.
In conclusion, realism and naturalism are interconnected movements, with realism presenting a truthful, unembellished depiction of life, and naturalism expanding upon this by exploring the deeper influences of heredity, environment, and social conditions on human existence.
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Comparison Chart
Focus
Everyday life and its occurrences.
Influence of environment, heredity, and social conditions.
Analysis
Less detailed, more focused on the observable.
More detailed, scientifically analyzes all aspects.
Depiction
Represents life accurately, emphasizing the ordinary.
Portrays the darker, harsher side of life.
Origination
Mid-19th century.
Evolved from realism in the late 19th century.
Control
Characters have more apparent control over destinies.
Characters often have little control over destinies.
Compare with Definitions
Realism
Realism focuses on ordinary, commonplace activities and experiences.
Realism in literature often centers on the mundane routines of life.
Naturalism
Naturalism is the detailed depiction of reality to discover the underlying forces influencing human behavior.
The author’s use of naturalism explores the depth of human instincts and the environment.
Realism
Realism represents truth with fidelity to real life.
The film depicted the events with such realism that it felt like a documentary.
Naturalism
Naturalism often portrays characters with little control over their destinies.
The book's naturalism emphasized the inevitability of fate and the characters' struggle against it.
Realism
Realism is the depiction of everyday life as it is.
The novel, with its focus on daily struggles, exemplifies realism.
Naturalism
It studies the influence of environment, heredity, and social conditions.
Naturalism in the play revealed how societal pressures shape characters.
Realism
It aims to portray life without embellishment or exaggeration.
The artist’s work in realism seeks to present the world without idealization.
Naturalism
It tends to focus on the darker, harsher side of life.
The painting, imbued with naturalism, showcased the brutal realities of existence.
Realism
An inclination toward literal truth and pragmatism.
Naturalism
(in art and literature) a style and theory of representation based on the accurate depiction of detail
His attack on naturalism in TV drama
Realism
The representation in art or literature of objects, actions, or social conditions as they actually are, without idealization or presentation in abstract form.
Naturalism
The philosophical belief that everything arises from natural properties and causes, and supernatural or spiritual explanations are excluded or discounted
This romanticized attitude to the world did conflict with his avowed naturalism
Realism
The scholastic doctrine, opposed to nominalism, that universals exist independently of their being thought.
Naturalism
The practice of describing precisely the actual circumstances of human life in literature.
Realism
The modern philosophical doctrine, opposed to idealism, that objects exist independently of their being perceived.
Naturalism
The practice of reproducing subjects as precisely as possible in the visual arts.
Realism
A concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary.
Naturalism
A movement or school advocating such precise representation.
Realism
An artistic representation of reality as it is.
Naturalism
The principles and methods of such a movement or of its adherents.
Realism
(sciences) The viewpoint that an external reality exists independent of observation.
Naturalism
(Philosophy) The system of thought holding that all phenomena can be explained in terms of natural causes and laws.
Realism
(philosophy) A doctrine that universals are real—they exist and are distinct from the particulars that instantiate them.
Naturalism
(Theology) The doctrine that all religious truths are derived from nature and natural causes and not from revelation.
Realism
As opposed to nominalism, the doctrine that genera and species are real things or entities, existing independently of our conceptions. According to realism the Universal exists ante rem (Plato), or in re (Aristotle).
Naturalism
Conduct or thought prompted by natural desires or instincts.
Realism
Fidelity to nature or to real life; representation without idealization, and making no appeal to the imagination; adherence to the actual fact.
Naturalism
A state of nature; conformity to nature.
Realism
The practise of assessing facts and the probabilities of the consequences of actions in an objective manner; avoidance of unrealistic or impractical beliefs or efforts. Contrasted to idealism, self-deception, overoptimism, overimaginativeness, or visionariness.
Naturalism
The doctrine that denies a supernatural agency in the miracles and revelations recorded in religious texts and in spiritual influences.
Realism
The attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth
Naturalism
(philosophy) Any system of philosophy which refers the phenomena of nature as a blind force or forces acting necessarily or according to fixed laws, excluding origination or direction by a will.
Realism
(philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that physical object continue to exist when not perceived
Naturalism
(philosophy) A doctrine which denies a strong separation between scientific and philosophic methodologies and/or topics
Realism
The state of being actual or real;
The reality of his situation slowly dawned on him
Naturalism
(arts) A movement in theatre, film, and literature that seeks to replicate a believable everyday reality, as opposed to such movements as romanticism or surrealism, in which subjects may receive highly symbolic or idealistic treatment.
Realism
An artistic movement in 19th century France; artists and writers strove for detailed realistic and factual description
Naturalism
(nonstandard) naturism, nudism, social nudity.
Realism
(philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that abstract concepts exist independent of their names
Naturalism
The belief in natural law.
Realism
It emphasizes believable characters and situations.
Realism’s emphasis is on creating relatable, real-life scenarios.
Naturalism
A state of nature; conformity to nature.
Naturalism
The doctrine of those who deny a supernatural agency in the miracles and revelations recorded in the Bible, and in spiritual influences; also, any system of philosophy which refers the phenomena of nature to a blind force or forces acting necessarily or according to fixed laws, excluding origination or direction by one intelligent will.
Naturalism
The theory that art or literature should conform to nature; realism; also, the quality, rendering, or expression of art or literature executed according to this theory.
Naturalism
The principles and characteristics professed or represented by a 19th-century school of realistic writers, notably by Zola and Maupassant, who aimed to give a literal transcription of reality, and laid special stress on the analytic study of character, and on the scientific and experimental nature of their observation of life.
Naturalism
(philosophy) the doctrine that the world can be understood in scientific terms without recourse to spiritual or supernatural explanations
Naturalism
An artistic movement in 19th century France; artists and writers strove for detailed realistic and factual description
Naturalism
Naturalism delves deeply into the scientific aspects of conditions and behaviors.
His work in naturalism investigates the biological and environmental factors influencing the human condition.
Common Curiosities
Does Naturalism believe in free will?
Naturalism often portrays characters as having little control over their destinies, emphasizing the impact of environment, heredity, and social conditions.
How do Realism and Naturalism view human behavior?
Realism presents human behavior as it is observed, while Naturalism seeks to uncover the underlying forces determining behavior.
When did Realism originate?
Realism originated in the mid-19th century as a reaction against romanticism.
How does Naturalism differ from Realism in its analysis?
Naturalism delves deeper, providing a more detailed, scientific analysis of every aspect of a person's environment, heredity, and social conditions.
What does Realism focus on in terms of themes?
Realism focuses on ordinary, commonplace activities and experiences, and the daily struggles of middle-class individuals.
Is Naturalism a form of Realism?
Yes, Naturalism is an extension or a form of Realism, focusing more on the scientific analysis of conditions and behaviors.
How does Realism depict life?
Realism depicts life as it is, emphasizing everyday activities and occurrences without embellishment.
Do Naturalism and Realism use different narrative techniques?
Naturalism often employs more detailed narrative techniques to analyze underlying influences, while Realism prioritizes a truthful depiction of life.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
