Realism

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Realism

• Two categories
• Contemporary Realism
• ( Historical Fiction)

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Realism (Realistic fiction)

• Realistic fiction attempts to portray the world
  as it is.
• Most often, ordinary people do ordinary things.
• Every memorable work of fiction presents a
  conflict or problem that affects human beings,
  and how this obstacle is overcome is the story.
• In realistic fiction, writers draw on their own
  backgrounds and observations of life around them.
  
• When writers present a world that is happier than
  the one we live in, we call that romance.
• Over the past 150 years. Childrens literature
  has gradually moved from a romantic view of the
  world toward a more realistic one.

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Coming-of-Age Theme

• From self-absorbed, immature to maturity and
  understanding of ones place in the world.
• In childrens books, the protagonist usually
  reaches a higher level of maturity and a great
  sense of self-awareness by the end of the book,
  but has not yet achieved adulthood.
• Bildungsroman is a German term for a book that
  describes the trials and experiences of a young
  person coming into maturity.

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Humor

• In fantasies, humor tends to be humor of the
  absurd.
• In realism, humor often breaks the tension of
  difficult situations.
• Humor can be therapeutic, helping readers to deal
  with the most serious issues.
• Most common kinds of humor in realism
• Humor of character. Interesting people do odd
  things. Tom Sawyers superstitious actions.
• Humor of situation. Strange or awkward things
  happen. The schoolmaster sneaks up on Tom when
  hes playing with the tick.
• Humor of language. Word plays, verbal ironies,
  misused words (malapropisms). When it is said
  that two boys fighting, covered themselves with
  dust and glory. (Is it glory?)

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Contemporary Realism

• Most popular genre
• About my life my world
• Readers can know characters quickly and its
  often easy to identify with them.
• The ground rules are already established. No need
  to create a new world with new rules.

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My Life My World

• Contemporary realism
• reflects and confirms my understanding of the
  world. (familiar)
• Readers can see themselves in characters
• But many kinds of people are seldom represented.
• For example There are very few books with deaf
  characters.
• Most contemporary realism for children still
  shows the lives of white, middle class characters
  in the countries where they published.
• expands my understanding of my world (difference)
• Readers gain some understanding of people who are
  not like them or in conditions which are
  different.

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Realism and Society

• The view of life in a realistic story reflects
  the societal values and attitudes of the time in
  which the story is set.
• Until the 1960s the world in children's books
  typically was presented without negative or
  earthly aspects.
• Some general restrictions
• No budding love affairs
• No liquor
• No supernatural phenomena
• No undermining of authority
• No parents with serious human weaknesses
• No realistic working-class speech (not even the
  mildest cursing)
• Was Tom Sawyer a book ahead of its times?
• The Vietnam War helped to change this

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Harriet the Spy 1964 by Louise Fitzhugh

• A Non-traditional girl
• Dressed in a sweatshirt
• Spied on neighbors
• Neglected by her wealthy parents
• Underwent psychotherapy
• Visited her nannys impoverished, mentally
  challenged mother
• Said hell to her mother.

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The Chocolate War1974 by Robert Cormier

• Bleak world view
• overly realistic
• Presents a corrupt authority
• Bullies get away with it.
• The good guy doesnt win.

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Bibliotherapy

• Any kind of emotional healing that comes from
  reading books
• The broad, therapeutic feelings of recreations
  and gratification experienced by individual
  readers
• The sense of connectedness readers in a group
  feel when they share the same reading experiences
• The particular information and insight books can
  provide in dealing with personal problem
• This has led to much didactic literature
  especially for young adults. The problem novel

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CategoriesThere are many ways to categorize this
genre (Judith Hillman)

• Family and School stories
• Adventure and Survival stories
• Social Realism
• Animal realism
• Sports stories
• Mystery and Detective stories
• Series books

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Categories Another classification system
(Charlotte Huck)

• Becoming ones own person a. living in a family,
  b. living with others, c. growing towards
  maturity
• Coping with problems of the human condition a.
  Physical disabilities, b. developmental and
  learning disabilities, c. mental illness, d.
  aging and death
• Living in a diverse world a. African American
  experiences, b. books from other cultures, c.
  understanding various world cultures.
• Popular a. animal stories, b. sports stories, c.
  school stories, d. mysteries.

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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

• What do you think of Tom? Sid? Huck? Becky?
• What do you find humorous? Surprising or
  interesting?
• How is church, religion, and morality involved in
  this story?