The Rise of Realism The Civil War and Postwar Period 1850 - 1900

The End of Idealism The outbreak of the Civil War brought an end to the idealism and transcendentalism of the pre-war period Emerson felt the Civil War would bring an end to the evil of slavery Most Americans thought the Civil War would only last a few months

The End of Idealism The first Battle of Bull Run, the first major Civil War battle, established the war as bloody and vicious Whitman viewed first hand the horror of war by working with the many maimed and wounded

Literature and the Civil War Despite the national magnitude of the Civil War, it inspired almost no great literature Few famous writers had first hand knowledge of the war Most famous writers of the day were far removed from the war philosophically The greatest Civil War novel was The Red Badge of Courage, written by Stephen Crane years after the war was over

Realism The post Civil War period saw the exploitation of the South Impoverished, uneducated freed slaves migrated to northern cities An industrial revolution was spawned by the Civil War Poverty and slums grew around urban industry

Realism Realists were a new breed of writers who attempted to capture the minute details of the common course of ordinary lives Realists explored why ordinary people lived they way they did Realism was anti-Romantic by its very definition

The Characteristics of Realism Portrayed common, ordinary people and situations Set in the present, not the past Examined the more difficult, tragic aspects of life Used highly descriptive, detail-focused writing to create a word photograph Addressed subject matter normally avoided by the Romantics

Regionalism Emphasized a specific geographic setting Emphasized the speech, manners, and customs of a particular region Often realistic, but more often leaned toward the sentimental and romantic Gave birth to realism

Naturalism Had its roots in European literature and philosophy Influenced by new scientific theories on psychology and sociology Viewed human behavior as an experiment to be studied and dissected Believed that human life was a grim, losing battle

The Characteristics of Naturalism Humans are a product of their biological make-up and environment Humans have little, or no free will There is no God Powerful, outside forces control each human’s fate Emphasis on the coarse, sordid, ugly side of humanity

Kate Chopin A woman ahead of her times Born in St. Louis – independent thinker Awakening, her most famous novel, was banned

Frederick Douglass Born into slavery Escaped slavery in his 20’s Self educated Wrote and gave speeches Became internationally famous

Ambrose Bierce Recognized for bravery in the Civil War more than 15 times Wrote for San Francisco newspapers after the war Became renowned for his cynical writing Master of Magic Realism

STEPHEN CRANE

SAMUEL CLEMENS AKA – MARK TWAIN

Jack London Very adventurous youth and teen years Self educated Amoral Passionate socialist Internationally famous adventure writer