Realism & Naturalism 1850-1900 "Realism is nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material." William Dean Howells

The Rise of Realism The Civil War and postwar period A response to the war and Romanticism. Romantics (Poe, Hawthorne, and Melville) used romance to entertain and reveal truth. Realists, however, sought to portray ordinary life “as it was”: Slums Rapidly growing cities Middle class and low class life African-Americans Women

Romanticism vs. Realism Larger-than-life heroes Romantic, exciting adventures Entertaining writing Realism Everyday people Ordinary life and realistic situations Sought to explain why ordinary people behave the way they do

Characteristics of Realism “Real” characters and situations. Character is more important than plot. Social class is important (literature used to feature only upper class). Diction (word choice) is natural, not heightened or poetic. Objective narration. Revelation of truth, even if ugly.

Everyday Life Realists tried to represent faithfully the environment and manners of everyday life. The way ordinary people felt and dressed What ordinary people thought, felt, and talked about Sought to explain why ordinary people behave the way they do. Characters: poor factory workers, corrupt politicians, even prostitutes. Relied on behavior sciences: biology, psychology, and sociology.

Regionalism Regionalism: realistic literature that emphasizes a specific geographic setting. Makes use of the speech and manners of the people who live in that region. Famous regionalists: Mark Twain Harriet Beecher Stowe Kate Chopin

Naturalism: an extension of realism Attempts to dissect human behavior with detached objectivity, like a scientific dissection. Influenced by the evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin They believed that one’s heredity and social environment determine one’s character. Deterministic view of life: viewed life as a grim, losing battle in which characters are controlled by heredity, fate, etc. (pessimistic view). Humans lived as animals, by instinct, unable to control destiny. Frank Norris, Theodore Dreiser, Jack London, Stephen Crane

Perceived the individual as… In Summary Genre Perceived the individual as… Romantics a god. Realists simply a person. Naturalist a helpless object.