C.S.Lewis in his book "An Experiment in Criticism" (1992) defines Realism of Presentation as:"the art of bringing something close to us, making it palpable and vivid, by sharply observed or sharply imagined detail."(P.57).
The best example for Presentational Realism would be Ch.43 of "Pride and Prejudice" in which Jane Austen presents to her readers a very realistic description of the Pemberley estate and Pemberley House. The precise measurement of the extent of the estate is specified: "it was ten miles round."
In p.59 of his book Lewis emphasizes the subtle difference between Presentational Realism and Realism of Content. He defines Realism of Content as, "a fiction is realistic in content when it is probable or 'true to life' "(p.59).
Thus Presentational Realism would, according to C.S.Lewis, be the 'how' and Realism of Content the 'what' of a novelist's craft.
Needless to say, the universal appeal of "Pride and Prejudice" is mainly due to the fact that the incidents and characters are 'probable' and 'true to life.'
In "Pride and Prejudice" Jane Austen deals with the universal institution of marriage and all its related issues-reasons for marrying; the importance of money, status and prestige; happiness or lack thereof in marriage.
No comments:
Post a Comment