Realism is the authentic portrayal of life that tries to bend language as close to the human experience without being painted over by romanticism or super natural elements. In the story, “The Real Thing” by Henry James, there are three distinct ways James draws us a truthful depiction of the human experience by incorporating relatable characters, common elements, and challenging our perceptions through art itself.
In “The Real Thing” James questions previous writer’s notions of our perception by looking at how our own world is shaped through the brush strokes of an Artist. In this story the Artist is only referred to as an Artist and given no other name, because society is only concerned with what the artist makes and not what the Artist …show more content…
In this story there are many common elements that appear unnecessary to the bigger picture the author and Artist are trying to paint, such as a scene about of all things tea. James uses the simplicity of having Miss Churm fetch a cup of tea to show how artificiality is incorporated in the grandest of paintings to the simplicity of pouring a cup of tea. In this scene Miss Churm feels humiliated and goes about asking Mrs. Monarch whether she would want cream and sugar “putting an exaggerated simper into the question. She had tried intonations – as if she too wished to pass for the real thing – till I was afraid my other visitors would take offence” (470). This quote portrays Miss Churm trying to be something she’s not (the real thing) in the most artless of tasks, pouring a cup of tea. The character of Miss Churm may constantly be changing, but the inanimate tea does not, which is later used by Mrs. Monarch to pour a cup of tea for Oronte to illustrate the now unimportance of Mrs. Monarch’s to the Artist as she becomes his servant. The tea also shows how these insignificant appearing elements are constantly present in our day to day lives and that sometimes it is these less significant elements that can be just as telling as those memorable moments you hang in frames and highlight in
In “The Real Thing” James questions previous writer’s notions of our perception by looking at how our own world is shaped through the brush strokes of an Artist. In this story the Artist is only referred to as an Artist and given no other name, because society is only concerned with what the artist makes and not what the Artist …show more content…
In this story there are many common elements that appear unnecessary to the bigger picture the author and Artist are trying to paint, such as a scene about of all things tea. James uses the simplicity of having Miss Churm fetch a cup of tea to show how artificiality is incorporated in the grandest of paintings to the simplicity of pouring a cup of tea. In this scene Miss Churm feels humiliated and goes about asking Mrs. Monarch whether she would want cream and sugar “putting an exaggerated simper into the question. She had tried intonations – as if she too wished to pass for the real thing – till I was afraid my other visitors would take offence” (470). This quote portrays Miss Churm trying to be something she’s not (the real thing) in the most artless of tasks, pouring a cup of tea. The character of Miss Churm may constantly be changing, but the inanimate tea does not, which is later used by Mrs. Monarch to pour a cup of tea for Oronte to illustrate the now unimportance of Mrs. Monarch’s to the Artist as she becomes his servant. The tea also shows how these insignificant appearing elements are constantly present in our day to day lives and that sometimes it is these less significant elements that can be just as telling as those memorable moments you hang in frames and highlight in