Realism & The New Frontier Late 1800s early 1900s

4 Major Effects on American Writers and Writing I. Population Diversity----still exploding (42 million) A. Population increase from 1865-1915 was more than entire US population at end of Civil War B. Immigration 1. Before 1880---largely European and Scandinavian 2. After 1880---Eastern Europe, Italy, Greece, Poland, Russia C. Native Americans had been defeated D. Slaves were free, but did little to participate in democracy

II. Science and Technology Improvements A. Transportation 1. Ocean liners 2. Stage Coaches 3. Transcontinental Railroad For Example: Mark Twain traveled extensively throughout the US including the West (Nevada), Midwest (Missouri), and East (Connecticut) thus shaping his views on how life was lived throughout the country

Technological Advances

Age of Science Influence B. Technological Advances C. Changes in Natural Sciences 1. Thought became science could be applied to all aspects of life Literature became intermingled with sociology, psychology, and “scientific philosophies”

Frontier Experiences A. Dwellers were mobile, practical, inventive, democratic, and optimistic B. “National character” C. Reality was less than idyllic (cold and cruel land)

The Frontier Experience American West had now filled up with settlements, so land was not as free, or at least cheap, like they had always imagined Legacy of dwellers had lived on though Mobile, practical, inventive, democratic, and optimistic were traits of national character West was not an idyllic place as conditions were harsh and unforgiving While most Americans never lived on the Frontier, many writers did, so this enriched American literature

IV. Industrialization A. Slums---lots of immigrants in little spaces; tenement housing B. farming problems---decrease in profits, increases in loans and interest C. labor unrest---little regulation on industry; no unions; child labor; little safety

Gilded Age ~Twain Rapid industrial expansion created urban slums, falling agric. prices, and labor unrest Problems demand solutions “muckrakers” (T. Roosevelt)---journalists who sought only to uncover the muck or dirt of American life.

Literary Changes Pre war Romantic writers were still read BUT Newer writers were not Romantics They wanted to portray life as it was really lived Realism, Regionalism, Naturalism emerge Writers such as Twain could travel more easily across the country and recount who and what they saw Incredibly diverse literature!

Realism Portrayed ordinary life as real people lived it and show events in an objective, factual way is a reaction against romanticism. originated with French writers - Balzac, Zola influenced by memories of war, life on the frontier, urban life, and science -To Be a Realist 1. Be acutely observant 2. Lay out “hidden meanings” 3. deal honestly with characters

By 1890 Authors began titling work with some of these metaphors…metaphors that viewed life as a struggle and drew upon the predatory aspect of nature for ways to describe the social environment “Under the Lion’s Paw”---Midwestern farmers under grip of capitalistic land owners The Jungle---Upton Sinclair’s look at the Chicago meat packing industry

Naturalism Beyond realism Influenced by French novelist Emile Zola One’s reality is shaped by natural forces Destiny is decided by heredity and environment, physical drives, and economic circumstances People have no control over events in their lives (pessimistic) Jack London’s “To Build a Fire”

Rise of Naturalism Writers now show concern with human character Characters are less “free”, less self-determined Heredity became a determinant of character Evolution also provided writers with new metaphors with which to compare literature to social environment

TRAITS & SOCIAL CONDITION A writer must study the inherited traits of a character and the social condition of the time These 2 things determine the course of any action and the outcome of any life TRAITS & SOCIAL CONDITION

Subject matter of Naturalism Raw and unpleasant experiences which reduce characters to “degrading” behavior in their struggle to survive Characters are usually from lower middle or lower classes Poor, uneducated, and unsophisticated

Naturalistic Character Conditioned and controlled by the environment, heredity, chance, or instinct They have compensating humanistic values which affirm their individuality and life (values compensate for flaws) Their struggle becomes heroic and the character maintains human dignity

Regionalism “local color movement” Use of dialect and vivid descriptions of the landscape captured the life of various parts of the US Twain instrumental in this…poked fun at all regions of the US in an attempt to unify the country Bret Harte is known as the founder of the local color movement