Unit I: Authors

Mark Twain was alive from…

1835-1910

What influenced Mark Twain’s stories?

Time spent in Western mining camps and Mississippi River

What journal did all three major Realists write in?

The Atlantic Monthly

Did Mark Twain participate in the Civil War?

No

What did Mark Twain’s work focus on?

Local color, humor, satire

What was Mark Twains first major success?

The Notorious Jumping From of Calavares County

What was Mark Twains most famous story?

Huckleberry Finn

When was William Dean Howells alive?

1837-1920

Where did William Dean Howells go during the Civil War?

Venice because Lincoln appointed him to United States Consul

William Dean Howells's education

well-educated

Where did WDH learn publishing?

His dad

Did WDH serve in the Civil War?

No

What was WDH against in literature?

sensational and salacious, preferred real over ideal

1st phase of Henry James’ literature

drama, comic, and ragic of American in Europe/European in America

2nd phase of Henry James’ literature

diverse themes and forms

3rd phase of Henry James’ literature

“major phase,” complex narrative and moral challenge

What was a common theme in Henry James’ characters?

sacrifice happiness for principle

Where was Henry James born?

America

Where did Henry James go?

Europe

Common themes of Henry James

young people vs. Pressures of society and clashes between European and American Values

When was Henry James alive?

1843-1916

Did Ambrose Bierce have a good education?

Grew up poor but his father liked books

Was Ambrose Bierce involved in the Civil War?

Yes, he fought for the Union Army

What happened to Ambrose Bierce?

He went to fight in the Mexican-American Revolution and dissapeared

What was Ambrose Bierce’s personality?

Bitter and cynical, pessimistic

What did Ambrose Bierce combine in his stories?

paranormal and hallucinations with everyday life

When was Kate Chopin alive?

1850-1904

What happened to Kate Chopin’s dad?

Died in a train wreck when she was young

What happened to Kate Chopin’s mom and husband?

Both died so she was left to take care of 6 children alone

What was Kate Chopin influenced by?

living in New Orleans

What was Kate Chopin’s focus?

domestic realism, women’s self-identity/discovery, women’s sexual desires

When was Mary Wilkins Freeman alive?

1852-1930

When did Mary Wilkins Freeman mary?

In her 40s

How was Mary Wilkins Freeman raised?

Orthodox Christian

What happened to Mary Wilkins Freeman’s parents?

both died by the time she was 28

What did Mary Wilkins Freeman’s literature focus on?

domestic realism, women’s roles in marriage and independence

Did Jack London have education

Yes but it was sperratic

Important points of Jack London’s life

Spent time in jail, worked as an oyster pirate, and mined gold in the Yukon

What influenced Jack London’s writing?

working-class upbringing paired with Marx, Darwin, and Nietzsche’s theories

What genre is Jack London known for?

dog stories

When was Charlotte Perkins Gilman alive?

1860-1935

What did Charlotte Perkins Gilman describe herself as?

“masculinist” = against traditional gender roles

What was Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s childhood like?

Her father left her and her mother offered little attention

What happened to Charlotte Perkins Gilman after having a child?

She became depressed and was institutionalized

Who was Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s doctor while she was mentally ill?

Dr. S. Weir Mitchell

Name of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s feminist manifesto

Women and Economics

How did Charlotte Perkins Gilman die?

killed herself after figuring out she had terminal cancer

What was Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s job?

Lecturer and reformer

What was Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s theory?

sexuo-economics: things should be shared between men and women