Final answer:
Realism era authors created realistic characters by portraying them as ordinary individuals with realistic struggles, using accurate details and speech reflective of their social class, and presenting complex character development through an objective narrator.
Step-by-step explanation:
Authors of the Realism era aimed to create realistic characters by depicting them as ordinary people with plausible struggles, mirroring the complexities of real life without idealized or overly villainous traits. Influenced by Local Color and Regional writers, Realists incorporated accuracy in describing settings and people but advanced this approach with more complex character development.
Realistic characters used ordinary speech appropriate for their social class, and their multifaceted nature was often exposed through an objective, omniscient narrator. Character-driven plots were common, and the focus on the middle class and their everyday concerns was a hallmark of this literary period, steering clear of Romantic elements like resolution and sentimentality.
Examples of authors who exemplified realism in literature include Stephen Crane, Rebecca Harding Davis, Mark Twain, and Henry James, all of whom wrote characters grounded in the societal realities of their time.