1. Journals Please

2. American Realism, and Naturalism
(ish)

3. Realism The Literature Presented life objectively
Favored science and technology
Focused on socials skills and social conflict

4. Elements of Realism
Detailed depiction of ordinary characters and realistic events
Emphasis on characters from cities and lower classes
Focus on the ethical struggles and social issues of real-life situations
Sought to explain why ordinary people behave the way they do

5. Why did Realism develop? (don’t have to write down)
The Civil War
The urbanization and industrialization of America
The emerging middle class

6. What is Naturalism? (Don’t have to write)
Applied scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to the study of human beings.
Influenced by Darwinism (natural selection) and psychology (Freud)
Posited that individuals were governed by heredity and environment.
Often depict man in conflict with nature, society, or himself.
Prominent from (ish)

7. Naturalism
Influenced by emerging disciplines of psychology and sociology
Belief that human behavior is determined by heredity and environment
Sense that human beings cannot control their own destinies
Sense of life as a losing battle against an uncaring universe

8. Why did Naturalism develop? (Don’t have to write)
The swell of immigrants in the latter half of the 19th century, which led to a larger lower class and increased poverty in the cities
The prominence of psychology and the theories of Sigmund Freud
Pessimism in the wake of the Civil War and Reconstruction
Publication of Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species

9. Points to Remember…
Realism, and Naturalism are intertwined and connected.
Their influence has dominated most literature created since 1920, though the movement itself is dated to roughly that point.
They are truly American modes of writing.

10. Reading Stephen Crane’s Maggie Girl of the Streets
The Red Badge of Courage

11. Constructive Response
Stephen Crane is known for being a writer in the Realism and Naturalism era. What are two examples from these narratives that prove he wrote in this time?
Must include one quote
Must introduce, and explain that quotes
Must have 2 examples that show Realism and Naturalism
Must prove these examples
Teacher example from Frankenstein:
      Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, proves to be a Romantic text because of its detailed imagery of nature, and the experiences the narrator goes through. From chapter 5 it states, “…by the dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window shutters, I beheld the wretch-the miserable monster I created.” The nature of the moon creates a mysterious feeling that supports Romantic elements from the Romanticism era. Second, when the narrator expresses his love for Elizabeth that shows human experiences which is another element that Romantic texts include.