Contrary to romanticism which emphasizes emotion and nature, realism attempts to represent things as they are. Authors like Mary Ann Evans, who wrote under the pseudonym George Eliot, uses realism to describe her characters as they are. She writes,

But it happens, on the contrary, that my strongest effort is to avoid any such arbitrary picture, and to give a faithful account of men and things as they have mirrored themselves in my mind. The mirror is doubtless defective, the outlines will sometimes be disturbed, the reflection faint or confused; but I feel as much bound to tell you as precisely as I can what that reflection is, as if I were in the witness-box, narrating my experience on oath. (Eliot 1)

She says that although she can refashion life and characters the way she likes, that would not be realistic and defeats the purpose of her writing. In Nineteenth-century British critics of Realism, Elaine Freedgood writes, “realism is responsible for representing social and individual experience as it really occurs in the world outside the novel” (326). Likewise to Adam Bede, which is a plot that follows four characters in their rural lives, describes the lives of Hetty Sorrel, Captain Arthur Donnithorne, Adam Bede, and Dinah Morris. Eliot’s descriptions pose as a window to the daily lives of four distinct characters.

Realism, although descriptive of the way things are, does not really help with emphasizing emotions. It gives depth to normal objects and presents a different perspective of looking at things, however, in describing people it is lacking. The personality of a character may be described, but the intense feelings that develop the character throughout the plot may not be under realism. Eliot compares her works to paintings because paintings frame a certain scene. Paintings act like a window to scenes, scenes like the ones Eliot describes in her writings.

Realism is supposed to be a way to discuss social and individual experience akin to the news. Eliot and Freedgood both do not like to add “embellishments” or “dramatic flairs” to their writing. Both keep it simple and want to show/tell things the way they are. Evident in Adam Bede, Eliot says “falsehood is so easy, truth so difficult” (Eliot 2) which shows that she is aware of how easy one can write a story, but difficulty arises when one is trying to depict an occasion the way it is without showing bias. “‘What good is there in taking all these pains to give an exact likeness of old women and clowns? What a low phase of life! What clumsy, ugly people!'” (Eliot 2). Here, an idealistic friend of Eliot’s attempts to discourage her from writing realistically. However Eliot asserts that their outward appearance isn’t all there is to them and they have tender hearts and other flattering attributes. While idealism romanticizes certain attributes to increase aesthetics, it is realism that brings awareness.