Review: Branches of Realism

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Review Branches of Realism

• Smiling Realism
• People goofy, foolish, selfish and even mean, but
  eventually their good qualities win out.
• Regionalism- realistically portraying
• Speech patterns, customs, day-to-day life
• Psychological Fiction
• concentrated on detailed studies of characters
  motivations
• Naturalism

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Branches of Realism Naturalism

• Stephen Crane, Jack London, Ambrose Bierce
• Realist to the extent that it is an attempt to
  portray life as it really is (as opposed to
  Romantics, who were uninterested in the dull
  realities of everyday life).
• BUT- Went Beyond mainstream Realism in attempt to
  also attempts to determine "scientifically" the
  underlying forces (i.e. the environment or
  heredity) influencing these subjects' actions
• Tended to view life as a grim, losing battle
  where people have few choices and live according
  to natural laws out of their control.
• Often placed its characters in life-or-death
  situations to emphasize the Darwinian aspects of
  life.

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Social Darwinism

• Darwin- pioneering biologist who developed theory
  of evolution
• When applied to human society
• Strong prey on the weak
• Those who cannot adapt die
• Also has disturbing implications regarding race
  superiority, eugenics, etc.

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The Extreme

• Naturalistic works often include uncouth or
  sordid subject matter.
• Exposed the dark harshness of life, including
  poverty, racism, prejudice, disease,
  prostitution, filth, etc
• But also felt these settings exposed the true
  nature of what drives us

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Example in Huck Finn Sherburns Speech (p.146)

• Idea of man versus coward
• People the same all around
• Average mans a coward
• Armies are mobs, with borrowed courage
• Peoples wills always bend to a man

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Jack LondonMan vs. Nature

• 1876-1916
• Tough childhood- worked from age 8 on
• Adventurous early adulthood- fisherman, seal
  hunter, misc. odd jobs. Ventured to Klondike in
  1897- almost died
• Most famous works To Build a Fire (1908), Call
  of the Wild (1903)
• Became as millionaire from his writing, famous
  (but also criticized by T.R. and others as a
  nature faker)
• Died at 40 from an overdose of pills as a fat
  alcoholic

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Stephen CraneMan vs. Man (War)

• 1871-1900 (died at 28)
• Interest in writing from early age
• Became a reporter at 16, gained artistic
  education in slums of New York city
• 1893- Wrote Maggie, Girl of the Streets- not a
  popular success, but pioneering work of
  Naturalism
• 1895- Red Badge of Courage- became a definitive
  work of the Civil War.
• Spent last 5 years of his short life trying to
  live up to the adventure of his writing- led to
  great writing, but aggravated his TB, which ended
  up killing him

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Abrose Bitter BierceMan vs. Self

• 1842- 1914 (?)
• Lifelong hatred of sentimentality
• Fought in Civil War- cited for bravery 15 times
• Long career as a muckraking reporter in San
  Francisco- hung out with Twain
• 1870s- became respected columnist and literary
  figure
• Biggest success at time was Devils Dictionary in
  1906.
• 1913- Bitter old man- went to Mexico to report on
  (or join) their revolution- never seen again

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Activity

• Watch selection of Touching the Void
• Be thinking
• Why would you ever, ever do something so
  incredibly dangerous?
• How does your answer coincide with this concept
  of Naturalism?