American Realism & NaturalismAmerican Realism & Naturalism

No More Romantic Sunshine & No More Romantic Sunshine & Rainbows…Rainbows…

Homework

Read “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” (pg. 569)

SAT (List 12) – Friday!

SAT Question

Alvin is an exceedingly _________ person: he unselfishly ________ his friends without ever expecting anything in return.

A.Opportunistic, supports

B.Noble, undermines

C.Bemused, aids

D.Caustic, neglects

E.Altruistic, assists

Origins/InfluencesOrigins/Influences

Began during the Civil War & Began during the Civil War & continued into the early 20th continued into the early 20th centurycentury

Reaction to Romanticism & Reaction to Romanticism & Transcendentalism: CONTRASTTranscendentalism: CONTRAST

Social/Political ContextSocial/Political Context

Reaction to Civil War sufferingReaction to Civil War sufferingInvention of photographInvention of photograph

– Captured true lifeCaptured true lifeIncreased literacy & democracy = Increased literacy & democracy =

public hungry for truth & awarenesspublic hungry for truth & awarenessAbolitionism & post-slavery storiesAbolitionism & post-slavery stories

– Dark side of AmericaDark side of America

Realism: Values/BeliefsRealism: Values/Beliefs Contrasts w/Romanticism & TranscendentalismContrasts w/Romanticism & Transcendentalism Romantics Romantics transcendtranscend the immediate to find the the immediate to find the

ideal; Realists focus on the immediate, the here ideal; Realists focus on the immediate, the here & now and its consequences & now and its consequences

Like Romantics, focus on common person & Like Romantics, focus on common person & daily human experience & progressive, but daily human experience & progressive, but stimulated change through telling a story that stimulated change through telling a story that reveals truth & portrays ugliness & cruelty, not reveals truth & portrays ugliness & cruelty, not preaching (left readers to draw their own preaching (left readers to draw their own conclusions)conclusions)

Multiple views of life: all classes, races, gendersMultiple views of life: all classes, races, genders– Particularly lower/middle classesParticularly lower/middle classes– Reveal the ugliness & cruelty of life, but leave Reveal the ugliness & cruelty of life, but leave

conclusions to the readerconclusions to the reader

Literary ConventionsLiterary Conventions Characters are product of social factorsCharacters are product of social factors

– Often poorly educated or lower classOften poorly educated or lower class

Renders reality closely & often in minute detail, even Renders reality closely & often in minute detail, even at the expense of plotat the expense of plot

Settings usually familiar to the writerSettings usually familiar to the writer

Character more important than plotCharacter more important than plot

Plausible events, avoid overly dramatic elementsPlausible events, avoid overly dramatic elements Usually uses the omniscient point of viewUsually uses the omniscient point of view

Conventions Cont.Conventions Cont.

Natural dialect, not heightened or poetic (like the Natural dialect, not heightened or poetic (like the Romantics)Romantics)– Written just as spokenWritten just as spoken

Tone is comic, satiric, or matter-of-factTone is comic, satiric, or matter-of-fact Considers ordinary & uninteresting Considers ordinary & uninteresting

characters/events in order to extract full value & characters/events in order to extract full value & true meaningtrue meaning– Simple stories far more complex than they Simple stories far more complex than they

appearappear

Regionalism & Psychological Realism

Regionalism: focuses on small geographical area in attempt to reproduce speech & mannerisms

Psychological Fiction: character perspective—as “real” as any reality…

NaturalismNaturalism Branch of RealismBranch of Realism Philosophical position: scientific laws control lifePhilosophical position: scientific laws control life Heavily influenced by DarwinismHeavily influenced by Darwinism

– Natural SelectionNatural Selection– Survival of the FittestSurvival of the Fittest

Darker & more fatalistic (fatalistic = determined by Darker & more fatalistic (fatalistic = determined by fate, fate, not not choice)choice)– Nature NOT nurture….Nature NOT nurture….

Forces beyond a characterForces beyond a character’’s control restrict s control restrict attempts to exercise free will or choiceattempts to exercise free will or choice

More negative than RealismMore negative than Realism

Famous AuthorsFamous AuthorsRealist:Realist: Mark TwainMark Twain

– Adventures of Adventures of Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn

Stephen CraneStephen Crane– Red Badge of CourageRed Badge of Courage

Upton SinclairUpton Sinclair– The JungleThe Jungle

Kate ChopinKate Chopin– ““Story of an Hour,Story of an Hour,””

DesireeDesiree’’s Babys Baby, , The The AwakeningAwakening

Naturalist:Naturalist:•Jack London Jack London

–Call of the WildCall of the Wild, , ““To To Build a FireBuild a Fire””

•Stephen CraneStephen Crane–Maggie: Girl of the StreetMaggie: Girl of the Street

•Henry JamesHenry James–Portrait of a Lady, Daisy Portrait of a Lady, Daisy MillerMiller

•John SteinbeckJohn Steinbeck•Of Mice & Men Of Mice & Men (debatable) (debatable)

Class Assignment

Answer reading questions in your text book for “The Life of the Mississippi” #s