American LiteratureAmerican LiteratureRealism and Realism and NaturalismNaturalism

Realism, n. The art of depicting nature Realism, n. The art of depicting nature as it is seen by toads. The charm as it is seen by toads. The charm

suffusing a landscape painted by a suffusing a landscape painted by a mole, or a story written by a measuring-mole, or a story written by a measuring-

worm. --Ambrose Bierce worm. --Ambrose Bierce The Devil's The Devil's DictionaryDictionary (1911) (1911)

Realism Realism literary movement that developed literary movement that developed

towards the end of the Civil War towards the end of the Civil War and stressed the actual (reality) as and stressed the actual (reality) as opposed to the imagined or opposed to the imagined or fancifulfanciful

Realism - Characteristics Realism - Characteristics objective writing about ordinary characters objective writing about ordinary characters

in ordinary situations; “real life”in ordinary situations; “real life” Character is more important than action Character is more important than action

and plot; complex ethical choices are often and plot; complex ethical choices are often the subject.the subject.

Characters appear in their real complexity Characters appear in their real complexity of temperament and motive; they are in of temperament and motive; they are in reasonable relation to nature, to each reasonable relation to nature, to each other, to their social class, to their own other, to their social class, to their own past.past.

Realism - CharacteristicsRealism - Characteristics Class is important; the novel has Class is important; the novel has

traditionally served the interests and traditionally served the interests and aspirations of an insurgent middle aspirations of an insurgent middle class.class.

Diction is natural vernacular, not Diction is natural vernacular, not heightened or poetic; tone may be heightened or poetic; tone may be comic, satiric, or matter-of-fact.comic, satiric, or matter-of-fact.

Why did this literary Why did this literary movement come about?movement come about?

A reaction against RomanticismA reaction against Romanticism– rejected heroic, adventurous, or rejected heroic, adventurous, or

unfamiliar subjectsunfamiliar subjects

The harsh reality of frontier life and The harsh reality of frontier life and the Civil War shattered the nation’s the Civil War shattered the nation’s idealismidealism

Romance and Realism: Taste Romance and Realism: Taste and Classand Class

Romance Romance Aspired to the ideal Aspired to the ideal Thought to be Thought to be

more genteel since more genteel since it did not show the it did not show the vulgar details of vulgar details of lifelife

Realism Realism Thought to be more Thought to be more

democratic democratic Critics stressed the Critics stressed the

potential for potential for vulgarity and its vulgarity and its emphasis on the emphasis on the commonplace commonplace

Potential “poison” Potential “poison” for the pure of mindfor the pure of mind

How did this literary movement How did this literary movement prevail?prevail?

The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution

– economic, social, and political changes economic, social, and political changes that took place in post-war life allowed that took place in post-war life allowed American Realism to succeedAmerican Realism to succeed

Who are the Realists?Who are the Realists? Mark TwainMark Twain

Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce

Stephen CraneStephen Crane

Willa CatherWilla Cather

Henry JamesHenry James

Naturalism Naturalism literary movement that was an literary movement that was an

extension of Realismextension of Realism depicted real people in real depicted real people in real

situations like realism, but situations like realism, but believed that forces larger than believed that forces larger than the individual – nature, fate, the individual – nature, fate, heredity – shaped individual heredity – shaped individual destinydestiny

Naturalism - Characteristics Naturalism - Characteristics characters:characters:

– usually ill-educated or lower-classusually ill-educated or lower-class

– lives governed by the forces of heredity, lives governed by the forces of heredity, instinct, passion, or the environmentinstinct, passion, or the environment

– the criminal, the fallen, the down-and-the criminal, the fallen, the down-and-outout

Naturalism - CharacteristicsNaturalism - Characteristics ThemesThemes

– Survival (man against nature, man Survival (man against nature, man against himself)against himself)

– Determinism (nature as an indifferent Determinism (nature as an indifferent force on the lives of human beings)force on the lives of human beings)

– ViolenceViolence

Who are the Naturalists?Who are the Naturalists? Jack LondonJack London

Stephen CraneStephen Crane

Bret HarteBret Harte