realism

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…they will move. Letters, conversations, social issues, behaviors, and descriptions all contributed substance for the literary movement known as Realism. Happy endings are not always realistic and usually exist only in fairy tales and other fiction. Fontane does not take the easy way out. He does not give way to the pleasing fiction of a happy ending. Effi Briest, closes with a hint of sadness when Effi dies, which strongly reflects the movement of Realism.