Summary of "SOMIGLIANZE E DIFFERENZE TRA REALISMO NATURALISMO E VERISMO"

Summary of Somiglianze e differenze tra Realismo, Naturalismo e Verismo

This video explores the similarities and differences among three important 19th-century literary movements: Realism, Naturalism, and Verismo. It provides historical context, philosophical foundations, literary characteristics, and social themes related to each current.

Main Ideas and Concepts

Origins and Timeline

Realism and Naturalism both originated in France.
- Realism: first half of the 19th century.
- Naturalism: second half of the 19th century, evolving from Realism.
Verismo developed later in Italy, directly influenced by French Naturalism.

Common Foundations

All three movements reject Romanticism’s emphasis on sentimentality, imagination, and authorial intervention.
They share the principle of impersonality: the author must disappear, avoiding personal judgments or direct involvement.
The goal is to describe reality objectively and truthfully.
This approach contrasts with Romanticism, where the author’s voice and idealism are prominent.
Influenced by Positivism, a 19th-century philosophy emphasizing scientific observation, empirical facts, and progress.
Literature is treated almost like a science: the writer observes and describes reality without invention or bias.

Realism vs. Naturalism

Both aim for objective, impersonal depictions of reality.
Naturalism applies a more rigorous scientific method to literature, codified by Émile Zola.
Key concept in Naturalism: Determinism — human behavior and destiny are shaped by:
- Biological and hereditary traits
- Environment
- Historical circumstances
Naturalism often uses experimental novels to demonstrate these deterministic influences.
Realism is less scientifically rigid and more focused on truthful depiction without necessarily applying scientific laws.

Naturalism vs. Verismo

Verismo is an Italian literary movement derived from Naturalism, introduced by Luigi Capuana and epitomized by Giovanni Verga.
Social context differs:
- France (Naturalism): industrialized, urban settings with workers, proletariat, factories.
- Italy (Verismo): newly unified, largely rural and agricultural, especially Southern Italy.
Verismo focuses on rural villages, fishermen, miners, farmers, and regional cultures.
Language differences:
- Naturalism uses a more formal, concise narrator’s language.
- Verismo employs “artifice of regression” — the language regresses to the simple, popular speech of villagers, as if the characters themselves narrate.
Philosophical differences:
- Verismo rejects Naturalism’s determinism and scientific rigor.
- Verismo is pessimistic about social change; unlike Naturalism, it does not believe in societal improvement through denunciation of social evils.
Verga’s “oyster ideal”: salvation lies in staying rooted in one’s native place and community, protected from the dangers of the wider world.

End of Movements

Both Realism and Naturalism decline by the end of the 19th century.
They are replaced by Decadentism, which opposes Positivism, emphasizing irrationality, individualism, and authorial creativity.

Detailed Methodology and Characteristics

Principle of Impersonality

The author must be invisible.
No direct judgments or interventions.
Objective observation like a scientist or journalist.

Naturalism’s Scientific Method

Literature as an experimental science.
Determinism governs characters’ destinies.
Focus on heredity, environment, and historical moment.
Use of cycles or series of novels to demonstrate deterministic laws (e.g., Zola’s Rougon-Macquart series).

Verismo’s Literary Techniques

Use of local dialects and popular language.
“Artifice of regression” to mimic the mentality and speech of rural people.
Focus on regional settings and social realities of Southern Italy.
Pessimistic worldview; no faith in social reform.
Emphasis on family, village, and tradition as sources of protection.

Speakers and Sources Featured

The video narrator (unnamed).
References to literary figures and philosophers:
- Gustave Flaubert (Realism)
- Émile Zola (Naturalism)
- Luigi Capuana (Verismo)
- Giovanni Verga (Verismo)
- Positivist philosophy (general reference)
- Manzoni as a Romantic author for contrast
- Zara (quoted on the writer’s role in objectivity)

In summary, the video clarifies that Realism, Naturalism, and Verismo share a commitment to objective, impersonal depiction of reality influenced by Positivism, but differ mainly in scientific rigor, social contexts, language use, and philosophical outlooks—especially regarding determinism and optimism about social change.