1. American Regionalism, Realism, and Naturalism 1860-1920(ish)

2. What is Realism? A faithful representation of reality in literature, also known as “verisimilitude” (the appearance or semblance of truth or reality). Aimed to create the appearance of ordinary life and render the truth of everyday experience as they saw, heard, and felt it. Emphasis on development of believable characters. Written in natural vernacular, or dialect. Prominent from 1860-1890.

3. What is Realism? In its literary usage, the term realism is often defined as a method or form in fiction that provides a "slice of life," an "accurate representation of reality.“ Literary realism is a 19th century conception related to industrial capitalism. In general, it means the use of the imagination to represent things as common sense supposes they are.

4. Realist Writers Mark Twain William Dean Howells Henry James Edgar Lee Masters O. Henry

5. Why did Realism develop? As a reaction to Romanticism The horrors and disillusionment of the Civil War ‒ The war had destroyed the Romantic view of humanity The urbanization and industrialization of America – The South felt slaves were a necessity for their agricultural way of life while the Northern economy focused on trade and industry The emerging middle class ‒ The immense cost of life from the Civil War caused Americans to turn away from idealism and focus instead on the hard realities of life Increasing rates of democracy and literacy Upheaval and social change in the latter half of the 19 th century

6. What is Regionalism? Often called “local color” because it focused on local cultures/customs, characters, dialect, topography, and other features specific to a certain region (i.e. the South) Coincided with Realism and shared many of the same traits. Depicted ordinary people and everyday places around them. Prominent from 1865-1895.

7. Regionalist Writers Kate Chopin—South Mary E. Wilkins- Freeman—New England Mark Twain—West Willa Cather— Midwest

8. Why did Regionalism develop? The Civil War and the building of a national identity Dual influence of Romanticism and Realism ‒ An outgrowth of realism with more focus on a particular setting and its influence over characters Not all of the new writers of this time period were educated in the East, as most previous American writers had been. Many came from the South, Midwest, or West and therefore did not present the unusual characters and exotic settings familiar to Romanticist writing. Revealed the tension between the new and the old: ‒ A nostalgic mood of a time before mass production and noisy urban life. ‒ A somber mood presenting a criticism of outdated habits and ideas (especially relating to women).

9. Regionalism and Local Color Although the terms regionalism and local color are sometimes used interchangeably, regionalism generally has broader connotations. Whereas local color is often applied to a specific literary mode that flourished in the late 19th century, regionalism implies a recognition from the colonial period to the present of differences among specific areas of the country. Additionally, regionalism refers to an intellectual movement encompassing regional consciousness beginning in the 1930s.

10. What is Naturalism? An extreme form of Realism which arose in the late 19 th / early 20 th century. Authors emphasized the roles of heredity, environment, and outside (economic, social, and natural) forces on human characters. Narrators are often objective and detached. Influenced by Darwinism (natural selection- “survival of the fittest”) and psychology (Freud) Focuses on the idea of determinism (concept that human beings do not have free will) Often depicts man in conflict with nature, society, or himself. Usually dreary in tone

11. Nature rules!

12. Why did Naturalism develop? Pessimism in the wake of the Civil War and Reconstruction The swell of immigrants in the latter half of the 19 th century, which led to a larger lower class and increased poverty in the cities The prominence of psychology and the theories of Sigmund Freud Publication of Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species

13. Naturalist Writers Stephen Crane Ambrose Bierce Jack London Edwin Arlington Robinson Katherine Anne Porter Charlotte Perkins Gilman Edith Wharton

14. Points to Remember … Realism, Regionalism, and Naturalism are intertwined and connected. (Most Realist authors are either Regionalist or Naturalist) However: The realist believes that people can choose a direction in life and make choices to shape it. The regionalist depicts the mood of society in a particular region and culture. The naturalist believes that human life is determined by heredity and environment – individuals are trapped in predestined lives that they cannot change. 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.