The Rise of Realism

The Civil War and Postwar Period

1850-1900

April 12, 1861

Confederate attack on Fort Sumter Opening shots of Civil War

Walt Whitman

Learned of first shots Worked in hospital during the war One of the few writers who witnessed

the war first hand Optimistic and idealistic response to

war

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Also viewed war in idealistic light Warned this day would come (if

slavery not abolished) Filled with patriotic pride

Herman Melville

Disillusioned by war Writing examined humanity’s basic

evil

The War in Literature

Very little literary output Most major American writers did not

see the war first hand (at home, abroad, or died).

Traditional literary forms not sufficient to express horrors of war.

“Realistic novel” not dev. yet

The Rise of Realism Realist writers: aimed at very specific

truths in the common everyday experiences

After the war, writers drew subjects from slums, factories, rising industrialism, etc.

Realism began in Europe. Attempt to rep. environment and manners

of everyday life accurately Attempt to explain why people behave the

way they do Dependant on new social sciences (psych,

sociology) and on biology

American Regionalism

Lit. that emphasizes specific geogr. setting

Realistic portrayal of speech patterns and mannerisms

Often unrealistic and/or sentimental (ie, Mark Twain)

Realism and Naturalism

Naturalists tended to look at life as grim losing battle.

Characters w/ limited choices and were totally subject to natural laws of universe

Focus on social questions/concerns with hope of reform—even more important than the action

Psychological Fiction

Psychological novel (Henry James) focuses on character motivation.

Exploration of complex social and psychological situations

Also Stephen Crane, but he focused more on behavior in the midst of stress (ie, Red Badge of Courage)

Ironists

Juxtaposing human pretensions (arrogance) with the indifference of the universe

Authors for Us:

Frederick Douglass Kate Chopin Mark Twain Jack London