Realism in American 1865-1914

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Realism in American1865-1914
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American Literature
Contemporary and Post-Modern Period
The Puritan Era
Age of Reason
Realism
Romanticism
Modernism
Transcendentalism
1600 - 1750
1750-1800
1800-1840
1840-1855
1865-1915
1916-1946
1946 Present
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The Civil War

• A nation divided
• Interrupts Transcendentalism
• Walt Whitman
• Transition writer late Transcendental poet,
  early Realist
• Leaves of Grass
• O Captain, My Captain

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Historical Context

• Population of the United States is growing
  rapidly.
• (1865 -1915)
• Science, industry and transportation are
  expanding.
• Literature also was growing, but most new writers
  were not Romantics or Transcendentalists. They
  are Realists.
• The Frontier did not exist as before its
  legacy changed and impacted Realists in its new
  form.
• The aftermath of the Civil War meant that
  Americans were less certain and optimistic about
  the future.
• The idealism of the Romantics and philosophy of
  Transcendentalists seemed out of date and
  irrelevant to many readers.

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Realism vs. Romanticism

• The trapper was placed on a rude seat which had
  been made with studied careHis body was placed
  so as to let the light of the setting sun fall
  full upon the solemn features. His head was bare,
  the long thin locks of gray fluttering lightly in
  the evening breeze.

• He was most fifty and he looked it. His hair was
  long and tangled and greasy, and you could see
  his eyes shining throughthere warnt no color in
  his face it was whitea white to make a body
  sicka tree-toad white, a fish belly white. As
  for his clothes, just rags, thats all.

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Realism in American Literature

• The purpose of the writing is to instruct and
  entertain
• Character is more important than plot.
• Subject matter is drawn from real life
  experience.
• The realists reject symbolism and romanticizing
  of subjects.
• Settings are usually those familiar to the
  author.
• Plots emphasized the norm of daily experience
• Ordinary characters

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Some Writers from Realism

• Abraham Lincoln
• The Gettysburg Address
• Walt Whitman
• Beat! Beat! Drums!
• O Captain! My Captain!
• Emily Dickinson
• Success is Counted Sweetest
• Stephen Crane
• War is Kind
• Kate Chopin!
• Story of an Hour
• A Pair of Silk Stockings

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Literary Style and Concerns

• Uniformity and diversity
• The art of depicting nature as it is seen by
  toadsand a story written by a measuring worm.
  Ambrose Bierce
• Capturing the commonplace
• For Twain and other authors, narrative voice is
  one of division before and after war
  conventions versus personal conviction
• Writing in vernacular and local dialect
• Local stories
• Nature again
• Yes, its beauty, but also its hardship and how it
  wears the human spirit down

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Other Ideologies

• God
• Government
• Education
• Mans Purpose in Life
• American Dream
• Evidence of Influence

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Abraham Lincoln1809-1865

• The Gettysburg Address
• Born 1809 in Kentucky to uneducated farmers
• in a one room log cabin (making him the first
  President born outside of the 13 colonies)
• Elected to Illinois General Assembly in 1834
• Elected to US House of Representatives in 1846
• Elected 16th President (first Republican) of the
  US in 1861

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Other facts about Ole Abe

• Mother died when he was 9 years old. Became very
  close to step-mother.
• Formal education was only 18 months. Very well
  read and mostly self educated.
• Skilled in wrestling and using an axe.
• Stood 6 ft. 4 in. tall.
• Married to Mary Todd, whose family owned slaves.
• Had four sons. Only one survived into adulthood,
  Robert Lincoln.

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Historical ContextBattle of Gettysburg

• Battle was July 1-July 3, 1863 in
  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
• Approximately
• 163,000 soldiers fought the battle
• 7,500 were killed
• 27,000 were wounded
• 11,100 were captured or missing
• The southern forces were defeated

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The Gettysburg AddressDelivered at the
dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania November 19, 1863
15,000 spectators were in attendance
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Main Points

• Our forefathers founded a nation in liberty on
  the proposition that all men are created equal.
  This war is testing the nation on its endurance
  of that premise.
• It would be improper to dedicate and hallow these
  grounds to the dead. Instead, we should dedicate
  the living to the work of preserving the nation.
• The men did not die in vain, but died so the
  people could have freedom and a government that
  shall endure.