Realism and Regionalism The Awakening

American Realism: Romanticism versus Realism became a debate in literature in the Post- Antebellum American Literary Market. Romantics: Individual is God (Emerson) Realists: Individual is simply a person (Twain) Naturalists: Individual is a helpless object (Crane) Chopin challenged norms as a Realist via her views on women and marriage.

Plot and Character Character is more important than action and plot; complex ethical choices are often the subject. Characters appear in the real complexity of temperament and motive; they are in explicable relation to nature, to each other, to their social class, to their own past. Humans control their destinies; characters act on their environment rather than simply reacting to it. Renders reality closely and in comprehensive detail. Selective presentation of reality with an emphasis on verisimilitude (Semblance of truth; likelihood), even at the expense of a well-made plot.

Structure Diction is the natural vernacular, not heightened or poetic; tone may be comic, satiric, or matter-of-fact. The use of symbolism is controlled and limited; the realists depend more on the use of images. Objectivity in presentation becomes increasingly important: overt authorial comments or intrusions diminish as the century progresses.

Realism and Regionalism Realism drew off of the “local color” movement which feared the Industrial Revolution’s effects on culture. Authors focused heavily on the people, dialect, land, etc. of particular regions when writing literature of the Realism genre.

Creole or Cajun The word Cajun originates from the term les Acadians, used to describe French colonists who settled in the Acadia region of Canada, consisting of present-day New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. With the British conquest of Acadia in the early 1700s, the Acadians were forcibly removed from their homes in what become known as "Le Grand Dérangement," or the Great Upheaval. Many Acadians eventually settled in the swampy region of Louisiana, today known as Acadiana.

Creole or Cajun The term Creole describes the population of people who were born to settlers in French colonial Louisiana, specifically in New Orleans. In the 18th century, Creoles consisted of the descendants of the French and Spanish upper-class that ruled the city. Over the years the term grew to include native-born slaves of African descent, as well as free people of color. Typically, the term French Creole described someone of European ancestry born in the colony, and the term Louisiana Creole described someone of mixed racial ancestry.

“Beyond the Bayou” Annotate for the following items: Imagery and Setting Character Dialect and Vernacular Summarize your findings in a short paragraph which desegregates the differences and interchanges of realism and regionalism found within the text.