Realismand
Regionalism1850 - 1900
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What is Realism?
• style of writing (and also of other arts)
• developed in 19th century
• attempts to depict life accurately without idealizing or romanticizing it
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Characteristics of Realism
• emphasizes accuracy and objectivity
• depicts common, everyday heroes
• views the world scientifically (EMPIRICAL)
• focuses on real-life situations
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Different from Romanticism• emphasized
imagination and emotion
• depicted larger-than-life heroes
• viewed the world poetically
• focused on exotic, supernatural, and imaginary worlds
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Causes of Rise of Realism
• American Civil War• advances in
technology• advances in science
and education• social changes
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The Civil War and Realism
• major cause of rise or Realism
• destroyed cities, industries, and lives
• left bitter memories and economic desolation in the South
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Technology and Realism• also contributed to rise
of Realism• photography: people
now saw real, unattractive pictures of war and poverty
• telegraphs and railroads: more people now heard about events that affected the nation
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Science, Education, and Realism• advances in psychology,
biology, geology contradicted long-held beliefs about humans, world, universe
• more women, minorities, poor had access to education and learned to read
• newspapers and new mass-circulation magazines were widely read
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Social Changes and Realism
• 1865 --- Thirteenth Amendment
• outlawed slavery!!!
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Social Changes and Realism• industrialization led to
overpopulation and poverty in cities
• agrarian economy of South devastated by war and loss of slave labor
• newly-freed slaves and other Southerners moved to Northern cities looking for work
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Social Changes and Realism• immigrants from strife-
torn Europe arrived in droves
• Northern cities grew quickly and without planning
• slums houses many new arrivals
• lack of hygiene = rise of disease and death
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Realistic Literature• contains themes that
center on contemporary society and on the lives of the middle and lower classes
• describes even unpleasant details of everyday life
• features characters drawn from poor and outcast of society
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Realistic Literature• avoids extravagant
language; uses simple, everyday diction
• tries to show real life without personal feelings or idealistic thoughts color the writing
• brings science to the story to explore human behavior
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Regionalism: American Realism
• literature that emphasizes a specific geographic setting and reproduces speech, behavior, and attitudes of the people who live in that region
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Regionalism
• Regionalist writers differ from strict Realists by portraying their characters in a somewhat sentimental fashion
• Sarah Orne Jewett, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Bret Harte, Mark Twain
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A Harsh Reality• A man said to
the universe: “Sir, I exist!” “However,” replied the universe, “the fact has not created in me a sense of obligation.”
- Stephen Crane
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What Have You Learned?• Regionalism describes the speech,
behavior, and attitudes of the people in a particular geographic area.
A. True B. False• Realistic novelists rejectA. scientific explanationsB. dialogueC. accurate detailD. glorious heroes
The End
Now, let’s read some Realistic literature!!!