THE DIALECTICS OF FREEDOM AND DETERMINISM IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY ENGLISH realism
Keywords:
Freedom, Determinism, Realism, Victorian Novel, Social Pressure, Human Choice, Industrialization, Moral Values, Naturalism.Abstract
The nineteenth century in England was a period of major social, economic, and intellectual change. Industrialization, new scientific discoveries, and shifts in moral and religious thinking challenged traditional views of human life. Realist writers responded by portraying life as it really was, showing both social problems and personal struggles. Writers such as Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Thomas Hardy explored the tension between freedom and determinism. People desire freedom and self-determination, yet society, family, and nature often limit their choices. Realist novels explore how characters navigate these pressures while trying to act morally and meaningfully. This study examines how nineteenth-century English realism represents the balance between individual freedom and external constraints, showing that freedom exists even within limits.
