Assignment #6 Realism and Regionalism—‘Keeping it Real’ !‘Defined as the faithful representation of reality or ‘verisimilitude,' (Hannah—say that word!), realism is a literary tech-nique practiced by many schools of writing. !Although, realism is a technique, it also refers to a particular kind of subject matter, especially the representation of middle-class life. A re-

action against romanticism, an

interest in scientific method, the sys-temized organization of the study of documentary history, and the influ-ence of rational philosophy all affect-ed the rise of realism. !According to William Harmon and Hugh Holman, !"Where romanticists transcend the immediate to find the ideal, and natu-ralists plumb the actual or superficial to find the scientific laws that con-trol its actions, realists center their attention to a remarkable degree on the immediate, the here and now, the specific action, and the verifiable consequence”. (A Handbook to Literature 428).’

Influences ‘The novels of the realists were heavily influ-enced by journalistic tech-niques, such as objectivity and ‘fidelity’ to facts. Many of the better known novelists of the time held occupations in the publishing industry in tandem with their literary endeavors. !The idea of novel-writing as a “report” grew out of this mar-riage between literature and

journalism. Realism has been likened to an early form of docudrama, in which fic-tional persons and events are intended to seamlessly reproduce the real world. The Victorian Period saw growing concern with the plight of the less fortunate in society, and the realistic novel likewise turned its attention on subjects that would not have previously warranted notice. !This delicate balancing act practiced by the upwardly mobile middle class in order to retain position was re-sponded to by the birth of a sub-genre of Realism called Social Realism.’ !!View the following brief videos on Realism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cump0Nxteb4 !http://study.com/academy/lesson/the-literary-realism-movement-a-re-sponse-to-romanticism.html !!

!!‘Oh, those Fabulous James Boys’ https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199503/oh-those-fabulous-james-boys !Connections to the field of Psychology Advances in the field of human psychology also contributed to the realist’s preoc-cupation with representing the inner workings of the mind, and the spectrum of human emotion. !

William James, brother of novelist Henry James, was a dominant figure in the early history of human psy-chology and it is presumed that the brothers’ conversations were influen-tial in Henry’s literary development. !Psychologists were just beginning to understand that human consciousness and that the mind was far more com-plicated than had previously been considered. !Debates about nature versus nurture were as popular then as they are to-day, espousing the notion there are very few absolutes in realism.’ !!! “Realism embraced the con-cept that people were neither completely good or com-

pletely bad, but somewhere along a spectrum.” !!

!!Realism’s Emphasis upon Character !The literary form of realism pays special heed to detail in attempts to replicate reality in a way not previously attempted by authors of the time. !

There is the belief that the novel’s function is simply to report what happens, without comment or judgment. The characters that these realistic school of novelists produced were some of the most famous in literary his-tory, from James’s Daisy Miller to Dostoyevsky’s Raskolnikov*. !Their characters are psychologically com-

plicated, multifaceted, and are endeared with motiva-tions and desire that closely replicate the daily tribula-tions of being human. ! Activity: *Watch the 1974 movie, Daisy Miller, based upon James’s novel (starring Cybil Shepard) and 1998 Patrick Dempsey in Dostoyevsky’s, Crime and Punish-

ment. !

The overriding concern of all realistic fiction is with character. Specifically, novelists struggled to create intricate and layered charac-ters, attempting to present them as flesh and blood creatures. !!Major Characteristics of Realism: • Emphasis on the psychological, detailed practicality, slow-moving

plot • Rounded, dynamic characters • Characters dictate plot; ending usually left open • Plot=circumstance • Realists show rather than tell • Events are plausible • Highlights the commonplace • Emphasis upon intrinsic morality • Humans are in control of their own destiny !Important American and European/International Realists: !Henry James Rebecca Harding Davis Sarah Orne Jewett Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain William Dean Howells Ambrose Bierce Gustave Flaubert (French) Guy de Maupassant (French) Anton Chekhov (Russian) George Eliot (English) !

!

!

Additional Activities in Realism !!!Henry James Read about him: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americannovel/time-line/james.html

http://www.online-literature.com/henry_james/ !View one of his following novels in movie format: What Maisie Knew, The Portrait of a Lady, or The Innocents !Sarah Orne Jewett !Stroll through Sarah’s home in Berwick Maine http://www.historicnewengland.org/historic-properties/homes/sarah-orne-jewett-house/pho-

tographic-tour Read a letter written to her by poet Whittier http://www.public.coe.edu/~theller/soj/let2soj/whittier.html !or read another of her diary entries http://americanliterature.com/author/sarah-orne-jewett/bio-books-stories !

‘Samuel Clemens [aka Mark Twain) was known to have given birth to ‘local color’—regionalism. Writing under the pen name Mark Twain, he was known for his faithful reproduc-tion of vernacular speech patterns and vo-cabulary. Twain was an innovator in fo-cusing on middle and lower class charac-ters. Previously, novels had concentrated on the experiences of the elite.

Presumably, the upper crust enjoyed seeing their lives of privilege reflected back to them in art, while salt of the earth readers had something to aspire to and fantasize about. It was a revolutionary concept to incorporate unremarkable characters into an art form as serious as the novel. In a development that continues to bewilder, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the most frequently banned books in the public school system. While not offensive by today’s standards, Twain merely represents customary speech of the time and place. In addition, Huck Finn represented an unprecedented leap forward in racial awareness while Jim, the freed slave, is as fully realized a character as Tom or Huck.’ !Visit the Mark Twain House https://www.marktwainhouse.org/man/biography_main.php !

More info on Mark Twain http://www.cmgww.com/his-toric/twain/about/bio.htm !A great friend of Mark Twain, and an important American realist in a related disci-

pline, was the magazine editor William Dean How-ells. In charge of the Atlantic Monthly for several years, he was instrumental in promoting the fame of literary rising stars, such as Frank Norris, Stephen Crane, and Sarah Orne Jewett. Howells wrote count-less volumes of fiction of his own, and was an unqual-ified success in that realm. Howell was once considered to be the most accom-plished of all American Realists. Although that repu-tation has faded, Howells’s work as an editor contin-ues to be hailed as his most important contribution. !For more information on Howell http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americannovel/timeline/howells.html

Ambrose Bierce’s famous short story, ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ re-flects the characteristics of the Realism Literary Movement. !Read more about Ambrose Bierce here: !http://www.biography.com/people/ambrose-

bierce-9212162 !http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/ambrose-bierce !Read the Short Story http://compositionawebb.pbworks.com/f/owl.pdf !Watch the Video http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi1071425305 !!!

Guy de Maupassant, considered a ‘High-Realist,' is also considered on of the fathers of the American Short Story. He wrote stories with clever plots and twists and served as a role model for future writers, such as Somerset Maugham and O. Henry. !One of his most famous short stories is ‘The Necklace’. !Read the story and then watch the animated video. http://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace !https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TigBGofARQw !!

Literary movements often overlap and some authors fall into a number of different categories. Just as Mark Twain is also known as a ‘regionalist’ Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton are recognized not only as ‘Realists’ but also as proponents of other movements as well. *We will be discussing ‘Regionalism’ and ‘Naturalism’ in more detail in the next assignment. !Kate Chopin !Kate Chopin was actually part of a several different major literary movements.

Not only did she belong to the Realism Movement but she is also associated with Regionalism, Naturalism and the Women’s movement. We will be dealing with some other ‘Regionalists’ and ‘Naturalists’ in the next assignment. !‘Kate Chopin, [1851-1904], was an American novelist and short story writer. She was the first American female novelist to write frankly about women's feelings toward their roles as wives and mothers. Chopin's best-known novel, THE AWAKENING (1899), deals with a woman who is dissatisfied with her passionless husband. The woman gradually gives in to her strong desires for other men and commits adultery. The novel focuses on the re-strictions that social and religious institutions of the late 1800s placed on women.’

Read one of Chopin’s short stories at http://www.katechopin.org. !Edith Wharton !Edith Wharton was considered both a Re-alist and a Naturalist. !Read more about her at this site http://www.biography.com/people/edith-wharton-9528669 Read one of her short stories at this site http://americanliterature.com/author/edith-wharton/bio-books-stories Visit her Lenox Massachusetts home at http://www.edithwharton.org Watch the movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder.