1. Ms. Meyer / English 11 / take notes on the light green material
American realism
Ms. Meyer / English 11 / take notes on the light green material

2. American Literature - Where We Are
Contemporary and Post-Modern Period
The Puritan Era
Age of Reason
Romanticism
Realism
Transcendentalism
Modernism
1946 – Present

3. American Realism is a style in art, music and literature that depicted contemporary social realities and the lives and everyday activities of ordinary people. The movement began in literature in the mid-19th century.
“Realists center their attention to a remarkable degree on the immediate, the here and now, the specific action, and the verifiable consequence."

4. Historical Context
The term "realism" encompasses the period of time from the Civil War to the turn of the century during which authors wrote fiction devoted to accurate representation and an exploration of American lives in various contexts.
The Civil War divided the nation.
It interrupts Transcendentalism.
It ushered in an age of uncertainty, and people were less optimistic about the future.

5. Historical Context Continued
Population of the United States is growing rapidly ( )
Science, industry, and transportation are expanding
The “Frontier” did not exist as before; its legacy changed and impacted Realists in its new form.
The idealism of the Romantics and philosophy of Transcendentalists seemed out of date and irrelevant to many readers.

6. Characteristics
A reaction against Romanticism, an interest in scientific method, the study of documentary history, and the influence of rational philosophy all affected the rise of realism.
Broadly defined as "the faithful representation of reality," it also denotes a particular kind of subject matter, especially the representation of middle-class life (due to spreading democracy).
Character is more important than action and plot and will seem ordinary (representing individualism)

7. Characteristics
Settings are usually those familiar to the author and detailed
Events will usually be plausible. Subject matter is drawn from real- life experiences (even local stories).
Diction is natural speech, not heightened or poetic
Tone may be comic, satiric, or matter-of-fact.
Providing an objective point of view is important
The purpose of the writing is “to instruct and entertain”
The realists reject symbolism

8. Style The writer sets down observations impartially and objectively.
These authors sought to portray life as they saw it, insisting that the ordinary and local were just as suitable for art as the sublime.
Captures the commonplace.
Nature Emphasis (Yes, its beauty, but also its hardship and how it wears the human spirit down)
Stories often deal with government, education, man’s purpose in life, and the American Dream. The conflict often involves a moral dilemma that is accurately portrayed.
“Nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material. “ William Dean Howells

9. Realism vs. Romanticism
“The trapper was placed on a rude seat which had been made with studied care…His body was placed so as to let the light of the setting sun fall full upon the solemn features. His head was bare, the long thin locks of gray fluttering lightly in the evening breeze. ”
“He was almost fifty, and he looked it. His hair was long and tangled and greasy, and you could see his eyes shining through…there warn’t no color in his face; it was white…a white to make a body sick…a tree-toad white, a fish belly white. As for his clothes, just rags, that’s all."

10. Realism Authors Stephen Crane Willa Cather Jack London Kate Chopin
The Red Badge of Courage
Willa Cather
O Pioneers!
My Antonia
Jack London
The Call of the Wild
Kate Chopin
“The Story of an Hour”
John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men
Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

11. The Criticism of Realism
Whose reality is portrayed?
Those in power, usually male, white, and privileged
Whose reality is marginalized and ignored?
Those without power: women, people of color, people of lower economic means
To Recap  An Overview: TCjHZWmgG0 (note: the speaker sounds like Christian Bale’s Batman, but the information is good)
Second Overview: OnDOkqp3o (note: similar information from the first video, but w/ more detail – and dramatic music)
Watch and add to your notes

12. Realism – what is our focus for this unit? Let’s discuss!
Writing Prompt: Considering that Realism is rooted in reality and reflects commonplace conflicts, consider our society today and decide what is the most important conflict of your generation. Explain in a one- paragraph written response.
How does literature respond to ideological conflict and the human condition?
How does literature reflect the expansion of America?

13. Ambrose Bierce ’s “Chickamauga”
The best way to understand Realism is by throwing yourself into reading a text.
We will start with “Chickamauga.” Bierce has been considered a good starting point for transitioning from Romanticism into Realism.
We will enjoy simply reading the short story together, then we will focus on analyzing.
Reading Questions
In "Chickamauga," it may seem unrealistic that the boy, the protagonist, was able to sleep through a battle going on all around him. What fact, revealed near the end, might explain how that was possible? Why is this character detail necessary to the story?
Who is the narrator, and what point of view does the story use?
What is ironic about each moment the boy becomes frightened?
What could the young boy represent?
How does this story express an anti-war theme?