How did Knut Hamsun challenge social realism in his 1890 manifesto?

In 1890, Knut Hamsun challenged the prevailing social realism of his time through his manifesto titled "Fra det ubevidste sjæleliv" ("From the Unconscious Life of the Mind"), published in the periodical Samtiden.1

Hamsun expressed deep impatience with the contemporary literary focus on social problems and external conditions, which characterized the works of authors like Henrik Ibsen and Leo Tolstoy. Instead of documenting societal issues, his manifesto advocated for a shift toward exploring the complexities of the human psyche and the "unconscious life of the mind."31

He put these ideas into practice with his 1890 novel, Hunger, which served as a radical departure from the era's typical social realism. By utilizing an impulsive, lyrical, and impressionistic style to chronicle the psychological state of an asocial, introspective narrator, Hamsun helped initiate a Neoromantic revolt that moved Norwegian literature away from naturalism and toward a deeper, more subjective examination of human experience.231