Realism, Naturalism and Regionalism Entering the Twentieth Century in the USA

The Civil War 1861-1865 The Civil War left Americans feeling uncertain about the future. 615,000 Americans killed 410,000 Americans wounded 10 % of all Northern males died in the war 30% of all Southern males died in the war

Remember the Romantics? Believed in the individual, emphasized the imagination, emotions, and creativity, etc. Realist writers turned away from Romanticism and Transcendentalism with their emphasis on the fantastic, the imaginative, and our need for harmony.

Historical Context Americans had a hard time appreciating the beauty of nature as the Romantics and Transcendentalists did because they had seen the horrors of war and the assassination of President Lincoln As a result of the Civil War, the assassination of Lincoln, and the expansion of the American West, the ideals of the transcendentalists (Emerson and Thoreau) and the Romantics (Poe, Longfellow, Bryant) were rejected for a more rugged, realistic version of reality.

Three New Literary Movements- All Connected Realism- any effort to offer an accurate and detailed portrayal of actual life based on careful observation of life (often focused on middle & lower classes) Regionalism- accurately represents the speech, manners, habits, history, folklore, and beliefs of people in specific geographic areas Naturalism- offshoot of Realism; sought to describe people and events realistically; emphasizes how instinct and environment influence human behavior

Realism Reaction against Romanticism 1865-1910 Reaction against Romanticism Turned from strange things to ordinary things (a slice of life and how life is really lived) Realistic writers sought to portray ordinary life as real people live it: factory workers, politicians, gunfighters and cowboys.

Realistic Writers Realistic writers attempted to show characters in an “objective, almost factual way.” They “tried to find meaning in the commonplace.” Finds the drama and tension beneath the ordinary surface of life Believed that humanity’s freedom of choice is limited by the power of outside forces Realist authors are more descriptive than symbolic.

Regionalism Accurately represents the speech, manners, habits, history, folklore, and beliefs of people in specific geographic areas Regionalism is often referred to “local color” Such writers use regional dialect. They use vivid descriptions of the landscape. They sought to capture the essence of life in the various regions of the nation, attempting to capture customs, dress, speech, and other local differences.

Regionalism Because America was leaping into a new modern age with the industrial revolution (standardization, mass production of goods, etc.), people feared that local folkways and traditions would soon be forgotten.

Connection: Realism & Regionalism Responding to these sentiments, realistic writers set their stories in specific American regions, rushing to capture the “local color” before it was lost. Regionalism grew out of Realism

Local Color Captures the special atmosphere of the area and its people Often contains regional dialects, well-known places, customs, etc. of a particular area Because of lack of communication and transportation, it shows how people lived in other parts of the country

Naturalism 1900-1914 Extension of Realism A reaction against the emphasis on the “ordinary” lives realist writers portrayed Naturalist writers insisted that the extraordinary is real, too. Instead of middle-class realities, naturalists wrote about the fringes of society—the criminal, the fallen, the down-and-out.

Naturalism Were Darwinists—they believed that individuals have no choice in life because a person’s life is dictated by heredity and the external environment We inherit compulsive instincts such as hunger or the drive to accumulate possessions, and then we are subject to the social and economic forces in the family, class, and surroundings into which we were born. In other words, people are caught within the forces of nature or society that are beyond their understanding or control

Naturalism The naturalists believed that one’s destiny is decided by heredity and environment, physical drives, and economic circumstances. They believed that human beings had no control over events. They also believed that human beings are at the mercy of nature and its brutal forces.

Naturalism Facts-only approach (avoids idealistic solutions to problems) “Brutal Realism” The protagonist, subject to multiple compulsions, usually disintegrates, or is wiped out, by the end of the story. Aimed at bettering the world through social reform (bringing a situation to the eyes of the public so as to improve it)

Charlotte Perkins Gilman Genre American Author (s) Perceived the individual as… Presents life as… Freedom of choice? ROMANTICS Transcendentalists R. W. Emerson H.D. Thoreau Walt Whitman A god We would have it be, want it to be Do whatever pleases you – limitless possibilities Dark Romantics Washington Irving Edgar Allan Poe Filled with the potential for sin Potentially dark Choice possible, but tends to the dark side REALISTS Realists/ Regionalists Edith Wharton Mark Twain Charlotte Perkins Gilman Ambrose Bierce Simply a person As it really is Choices are limited by outside forces (class, race, etc.) Naturalists/ Kate Chopin Jack London Stephen Crane A helpless object Determined only by heredity and environ- ment No choices – we are pawns of our background and current environment