Realism is different for any single author based on his or her life experiences, just as any reader may interpret a different reality than another. However, in general, realism emerged as a form of fictional literature that attempted to capture qualities of real people and events. Before the Victorian period, most fiction embraced romantic, idealistic elements of both characters and plot, but some Victorian authors produced works on the verge of Realism. These novels usually still employed some romantic elements, but they either pursued realism with believability of characters, plot, or narrative style.
    One of the aspects of romantic literature that defies realism is the tendency of “good” characters to end well while “bad” characters to end in dismay. This idealism suggests not only that people get what they deserve, but that every person is either intrinsically good or bad. Reality disagrees, as actual people exhibit a complexity of character and outcomes in their lives. Jane Austen created characters who were mostly flat, which aligned with her romantic predecessors. However, in Mansfield Park, Austen has finally created a heroine who is not wholly ideal as a heroine. Her theatrics call for negative attention not only from Edmund and her other family members, but from the reader, and this annoying attribute makes her character seem more realistic.
    Another author who further challenges this idea of just endings is Olive Schreiner in her The Story of an African Farm. Two of the least corrupt, most relatable protagonists die after a life of despair and unfulfilled dreams, while the characters who have oppressed them face much less harsh endings. Again, this provides for a more realistic, if not cynical, portrayal of life in the lower class in South Africa. Life on this farm is far from romanticized, as the first few sentences describe it as “lonely” and “oppressive” (1). Schreiner even defends her realism in the novels’ preface, claiming she mimicked “the method of the life we all lead [where] nothing can be prophesied” (xxxix). She then uses Lyndall to further establish this novel as realism, since she notes that “it is only the made-up stories that end nicely; the true ones all end [badly]” (14). Thus, since this story does not end “nicely,” it must not be “made-up.” Schreiner also creates complex characters, Waldo and Lyndall, who are able to question those in control and struggle with issues, like religion and feminism, relatable to people during the late 19th Century. George Eliot further explores such issues and is noted as the first author to exemplify the art of realism. In Daniel Deronda, the characters are complex with oftentimes conflicting characteristics, as Eliot was interested in their deepest psychologies.
    Eliot’s most notable employment of realism is in her unpredictable plot. Since real life provides obstacles and unexpected twists, Eliot’s plot follows a realistic pattern. In fact, her narrative technique of beginning the story in medias res establishes the beginning of the novel, which is the center of the plot, in a way that replicates her romantic predecessors. By beginning with a strange man and woman, Victorian readers immediately assume they will be married, much like a Jane Austen novel. However, readers soon discover that each character is in fact involved with another, and the ending becomes unpredictable.
    Another Victorian novel that is certainly unpredictable is Wilkie Collins’s The Moonstone. This novel has the potential of exploring realism, yet the foundation of its plot is perhaps the most unrealistic of events. While perhaps plausible that a person may forget an action while he is drugged, Collins creates the incredibly unlikely situation of a “detective” unknowingly pursuing himself as the burglar he seeks. Still, The Moonstone does use some realistic aspects, like Ezra Jennings’ descriptive opium addiction, based most likely on Collins’s own drug addiction. Also, Collins borrowed some details and plot from events in the media, be he sensationalized them to make them more entertaining. Perhaps the most obvious reason the novel is unrealistic is explicitly stated in its title--the detective novel is based around the search for a cursed diamond. That The Moonstone is far from an exemplar of fictional realism is interesting because the basis of the narrative style is to search for truth through a combination of multiple subjectivities. Still, the premise of the plot is far less believable than that of Daniel Deronda or even Mansfield Park.