American Realism The Civil War and Post-War Period Thomas Charles Farrer ( ), Mount Tom, 1865

Realists sought to accurately portray real life, without filtering it through personal feelings, romanticism, or idealism. Elements of Literature, 6 th ed (419)

American Realism—Big Ideas The world is what it is, and that can be awful and frightening Realistic, accurate portrayals (verisimilitude) accepting reality as reality rejection of the sensational or sentimental loss of optimism

Response to Start of the Civil War Rapidly growing cities and slums Factories replacing farms Corruption in politics Children in Mullen’s Alley, photograph, Jacob Riis, 1888photograph

New Voices, New Subjects Emphasized the current world – here and now Wrote not about the ideal man, but the human man More interested in character than plot Concerned with social wrongdoings Satire Not preachy – illustrates situations without directly giving specific morals and values

Attitudes in Realism: War – sought to change romantic notions Slavery – no such thing as a “content” slave Women – portrayed as real people City & Farm Life – neither was perfect; people were at the mercy of the land or the factory “Nothing more and nothing less than a truthful treatment of material.” -William Dean Howells