REALISM AND REGIONALISM Corrine Davis, Christina Popper, Jamyra Witherspoon

REALISM “Realism is nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material.” -William Dean Howells

REALISM  Defined as “the faithful representation of reality” or “truth.”  It represents a specific kind of subject matter.

REALISM  Realism was a movement that included the entire country, or at least the Midwest and South, although many of the writers and critics associated with realism (notably W. D. Howells) were based in New England  There is the belief among the Realists that humans control their destinies; characters act on their environment rather than simply reacting to it. Character is superior to circumstance.

PRINCIPLES OF REALISM 1.Persistence upon and defense of “the experienced commonplace.” 2.Character more important than plot 3.Attack upon romanticism and romantic writers 4.Stress upon morality often self-realized and upon an examination of idealism 5.Concept of realism as a realization of democracy

REBECCA HARDING DAVIS “For, after all, put it as we may to ourselves, we are all of us from birth to death guests at a table which we did not spread.”

HAMLIN GARLAND “Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and numbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy.”

EDGAR WATSON HOWE “The man who can keep a secret may be wise, but he is not half as wise as the man with no secrets to keep.”

WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS “The conqueror is regarded with awe; the wise man commands our respect; but it is only the benevolent man that wins our affection.”

HENRY JAMES “I've always been interested in people, but I've never liked them.”

JOSEPH KIRKLAND “If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it all to themselves.”

MARK TWAIN “It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.”

REGIONALISM

 Regionalism literature is a fiction and poetry that focuses on the characters, dialect, customs and topography.  Influenced by Southwestern and Down East Humor, between the civil war and the end of nineteenth century this made of writing became in dominant in American Literature.

REGIONALISM  Setting: The emphasis is frequently on nature and the limitations it imposes. The setting integral to the story and may sometimes become a character in itself.  Theme: Many local color stories share an antipathy to change and certain degree.

REGIONALISM TECHNIQUES 1.Use of dialect to establish credibility and authenticity of regional characters. 2.Use of detailed description 3.Frequent use of a frame story in which the narrator hears some tale of region

WORK CITED  Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, " Realism in American Literature, N.p., 04 July Web. 20 Sept  Davis, Rebecca Harding. "Rebecca Harding Davis Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 25 Sept  Garland, Hamlin. “Hamlin Garland Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 25 Sept  Howe, Edgar Watson. “Edgar Watson Howe Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 25 Sept  Howells, William Dean. "William Dean Howells Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 25 Sept

WORK CITED  James, Henry. “Hnery James Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 25 Sept  Kirkland, Joseph. “Joseph Kirkland Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 25 Sept  Reuben, Paul P. "PAL:American Realism - A Brief Introduction." PAL:American Realism - A Brief Introduction. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept  Twain, Mark. “Mark Twain Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 25 Sept