1. Realism, Regionalism, and Naturalism
Literary Movements

2. Realism ( )
Realism is the presentation of the details of actual life. 
Literary movement that stressed the actual, NOT the imagined. 
Truthful about ordinary characters in ordinary situations 
Reacted against Romanticism, rejecting heroic, adventurous, unusual, or unfamiliar subjects.
Examples: Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain, Kate Chopin, Jack London, Stephen Crane 

3. Elements of Realism
Author is focused on how the story happened (just facts, no opinions)
Real life situations/events that could actually happen (pragmatic)
Ordinary Characters and what makes them ordinary
Characters morals/ beliefs/values and/or choices are written about

4. Naturalism
An outgrowth of Realism, Naturalism was a literary movement among novelists where they traced the effects of heredity (genes/genetics) and environment on people who are helpless to change their situations.
Viewed people as helpless victims of natural laws
They believed in the theory of Darwinism
Survival of the fittest
Examples: Jack London, Stephen Crane

5. Elements of Naturalism
Victim to heredity, nature, OR environment
the conflict
Character’s effort at doing or making choices that they want are out of their control (inevitable)
Characters are often ill-educated OR lower-class

6. Regionalism
Another outgrowth of Realism, Regionalism in literature is the tendency among certain authors to write about specific geographical areas. 
Regional writers present the distinct culture of an area, including its speech, customs, beliefs, and history.
Regionalists usually go beyond the presentation of culture and attempt to create a sociological or anthropological treatment of the culture of a region.
Examples: Mark Twain, Jack London, Willa Cather

7. Elements of Regionalism
Shows dialect of an area
how they speak
Shows customs of an area or their beliefs/values
what they do, how they do it
Shows the history of an area
Scenery and land are unique to that specific area (panoramic)

8. Why was Regionalism Important?
ONLY WAY TO “SEE” THE COUNTRY!!
Turn of the 20th Century
8% of homes had a telephone
8,000 cars
144 miles of paved road
Speed limits were about 10 mph in cities
American Flag had 45 stars
Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska were NOT part of the US yet

9. Source
American Literature: Major Movements and Terms. 9 Dec 2004 < edu/gaither/literary_movements.htm>.