Realism/Naturalism/Regionalism What is the necessary background information and the important features of this time period of American Literature?

Prelude to the Civil War The North Commerce ruled—money and expansion Expanded transportation turned towns into cities Education, banking, science, reform—all important issues Large tide of Irish and German immigrants coming, mainly between Boston and Baltimore

The South Slower paced land of plantations and small farms Cotton, sugar, rice, tobacco are key crops Not much of a technological/industrial revolution No discussion of the social issues revolving around the industrial revolution Main issue: Slavery Prelude to the Civil War

Fugitive Slave Act Passed in 1850 Required all citizens—north and south, free state and slave state—to help catch runaway slaves South saw it as just; North saw it as an outrage KS-NE Act opened up the west to slavery and became a hotly contested political action Prelude to the Civil War

Cost of the Civil War The Human Cost The North lost one out of ten (110,100 in battle; 224,580 to disease) The South lost one out of four (94,000 in battle; 64,000 to disease) Economic Cost Estimated at $6.6 billion, which would be $165 billion today

In the fifty years after the war, America underwent a physical and social expansion that transformed the landscape, economy, and national identity.

The Effects of the Westward Migration Homestead Act of 1862 promises 160 acres to anyone who would live on the land for a certain period of time and make minimal improvements 500,000 farmers, included many emancipated slaves, staked claims on the Great Plains Miners headed west by the thousands Expansion was aided by the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869

The Effects of the Westward Migration The expansion left destruction in its path  wild buffalo were gone  Open plains disappeared  Indian nations were displaced, destroyed, and forced onto reservations Had to be strong to survive Few stores and major cities (Women had to make clothes, soap, quilts, candles, and other goods by hand and worked as teachers, doctors, and farmers)

The Effects of the Industrial Revolution Migration from rural to urban areas Independent, skilled workers replaced by semi- skilled laborers; Large corporations were established, devaluing the personal relationships Political Upheaval: Power Shifts, Civic Corruption, Expanded Federal Government Migration westward expanded the U.S. from the Atlantic to the Pacific

The Effects of the Industrial Revolution Native American populations displaced and subjugated Growth of Industry(Steelmaking, Petroleum, Electrical) Growth of population (Total population doubled from 1870 to 1890) Gap between rich and poor widened

A Changing Society Electricity becomes a normal part of society Introduced to electric light, telephones, cars, motion pictures and phonographs Immigration boom in the country  In 20 years the population grows from 50 million to 76 million  Almost 10 million of these new Americans are immigrants  Most settle in large cities, which leads to a inexhaustible supply of cheap labor for industry

A Changing Society Industrial boom leads to great extremes in poverty and wealth in the county Child labor becomes the norm, as wages are so low it takes the whole family working to make a living Meanwhile, the owners of the big industries— Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt—live like kings and only grew more and more wealthy Twain called it “The Gilded Age”. This was a satirical comment on the great disparity between the rich and poor.

Literature of the Realism Period Frontier Voices Slave Narratives Literature of Discontent Wartime Voices

Realism A literary method of the 19 th century writings that are based on careful observations of contemporary life. Features: Often focusing on the middle and lower classes Attempted to present life objectively and honestly, without the sentimentalism or idealism of earlier literature Settings and characters developed in great detail in an effort to re-create a specific time and place for the reader Uneventful plots with story revolving around community

Naturalism In addition to the Realism methods of writing: Emphasized how instinct and environment affect human behavior Believed that the fate of humans is determined by forces beyond individual control Influenced by Darwin’s ideas Example: A Mystery of Heroism by Stephen Crane

Regionalism Also Known As: Local Color Realism Style of writing that truthfully imitates ordinary life and brings a particular region alive by portraying the dialects, dress, mannerisms, customs, character types, and landscapes of that region. Mark Twain uses Regionalism frequently in his writings.