Realism and NaturalismAmerican Literature

Grab a book from the shelf and prepare to take some notes from the PPT before a short story today.

Remember to work on note-taking skills. Key ideas are in different colors to help in the first half of the presentation, but the second half is a mystery.

Don’t fall prey to writing down everything you see! Use abbreviations, images, examples – make your notes work for you.

Broadly defined as "the faithful representation of reality," Realism is:a literary technique practiced by many schools of writing

a particular kind of subject matter, especially the representation of middle-class life

Realism was influenced by:reaction against Romanticism an interest in scientific method

the study of documentary history (How is this different than historical romance?)

the influence of rational philosophy

According to William Harmon and Hugh Holman, “. . . realists center their attention to a remarkable degree on the immediate, the here and now, the specific action, and the verifiable consequence" (A Handbook to Literature 428).

In American literature, the term "realism" encompasses the period of time from the Civil War to the turn of the century (1900).

Authors such as Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, and Kate Chopin wrote fiction devoted to accurate representation and an exploration of American lives in various contexts.

Realism and NaturalismRenders reality closely

and in comprehensive detail

-- Selective presentation of reality with an emphasis on verisimilitude (lifelikeness), even at the expense of a well-made plot

The detail in the top picture is very realistic, whereas the bottom loses detail and becomes more abstract.

Realism and NaturalismCharacter is more

important than action and plot; complex ethical choices are often the subject.

In Romanticism, we recognize the good guy because he’s always good and he always wins. In Realism, the lines are not so clearly drawn.

characterplot

Realism and NaturalismCharacters appear

in their real complexity.

We cannot escape the influence ofnatureeach othersocial class our own past

Realism and NaturalismClass is

important; the novel has traditionally served the interests and aspirations of an insurgent middle class. (See Ian Watt, The Rise of the Novel)This is one thing Realism has in

common with Romanticism – concern for the middle class.

Realism and NaturalismEvents will usually be plausible. Realistic novels avoid the sensational, dramatic elements typical of idealized Romantic literature.

Realism and NaturalismDiction is natural vernacular, not

heightened or poetic; tone may be comic, satiric, or matter-of-fact.“YOU don't know about me without you have read abook by the name of The Adventures of TomSawyer; but that ain't no matter. That book wasmade by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth,mainly. There was things which he stretched, butmainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I neverseen anybody but lied one time or another, without itwas Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary.”-The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Realism and NaturalismObjectivity in

presentation becomes increasingly important. The picture being painted in words by the author should be as straightforward and clear as possible.

NaturalismThe term Naturalism describes a type of

literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings.

Unlike Realism, which focuses on literary technique, naturalism implies a philosophical position: for naturalistic writers, since human beings are, in Emile Zola's phrase, "human beasts," characters can be studied through their relationships to their surroundings. (Think Mean Girls.)

Through this objective study of human beings, naturalistic writers believed that the laws behind the forces that govern human lives might be studied and understood.

Naturalistic writers thus used a version of the scientific method to write their novels; they studied human beings governed by their instincts and passions as well as the ways in which the characters' lives were governed by forces of heredity and environment.

You’ve studied Romanticism and Transcendentalism, and now you’ve been introduced to Realism and Naturalism.

Explain at least three clear differences between the two literary periods.

Why would war make a suitable subject for Realism?

What types of conflicts would you expect to be present in works of Realism and Naturalism?

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”Add the definition of “stream of

consciousness” to your notes. (p. 478)Read the biographical information

about Ambrose “Bitter” Bierce on page 479.

Read the short story. Think about the sequence of events as presented and in reality. What are the major events and in what order did they actually happen?