American Lit Unit 3 Realism, Regionalism, and Naturalism

the civil war

What was the major historical event that influenced these movements?

1861-1865

When did realism emerge?

the harsh realities of frontier life and the impacts of westward expansion/industrialization

What did americans realize after the civil war?

Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and Mark Twain

Who are the main authors of realism?

Mark Twain

* Realist and Regionalist.
* Lived from 1835-1910.
* Wrote about ordinary Americans
* Used “American English” and regional dialects
* Incorporated American themes
* Considered a humorist and a satirist

Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, “War Prayer”

What did Mark Twain write?

Ambrose Bierce

* Realist
* Lived from 1842-1914.
* A journalist and short story writer
* Known for his humorous, satirical, and chilling stories
* Spoke out against oppression and supported civil and religious freedoms
* Fought in the Civil War and wrote numerous Civil War stories.

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, *The Devil’s Dictionary*

What did Ambrose Bierce write?

mid to late 1800s

What was the duration of regionalism?

population growth

What historical aspect(s) influenced regionalism?

characteristics of different cultures

What is the element that influences regionalism?

Bret Harte

* Regionalist writer.


* Lived from 1836-1902.
* Author, essayist, humorist, and critic
* Master of the genre of gold rush fiction
* Wrote about corruption and greed
* Created a vivid, lasting portrait of the Old West
* His stories were filled with picturesque, intriguing characters and colorful dialogue

*The Luck of Roaring Camp* “The Outcasts of Poker Flat”

What did Bret Harte write?

Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution

What historical aspect(s) influenced naturalism?

Upton Sinclair

* Was commissioned to write a novel about immigrant workers in the Chicago meat packing houses
* Wrote *The Jungle*

Jack London

* Naturalist writer
* Set much of his fiction in Alaska 

where the environment was cruel and unforgiving

* The themes of human endurance in the face of overwhelming natural forces and the callous indifference of nature pervade his writing

“To Build a Fire” “The Law of Life” and The Call of the Wild

What did Jack London write?

true

True or False: Realism seeks to portray life as faithfully and accurately as possible

true

True or False: Realism focuses on ordinary people (usually middle to lower class), who have suffered from the harsh realities of everyday life

false

True or False: In Realism writers cover up the grim reality of war

false

True or False: In Realism content is sentimental, dishonest, and often not harsh

false

True or False: Realism focuses on plot rather than character development

true

True or False: Realism uses ordinary language, events, and settings (all described in great detail)

false

True or False: In Realism, complex ethical choices are *rarely* the subject

true

True or False: Naturalism often describes the futile attempts of human beings to exercise free will in a world in which free will is an illusion

false

True or False: Naturalism focuses on characters whose relationship with their surroundings is especially easy or straight forward

true

True or False: Naturalism demonstrates how people can revert to the most primitive stages of being when confronted by a universe that is indifferent to human suffering 

true

True or False: Naturalism exposes the dark harshness of life including poverty, racism, violence, prejudice, disease, corruption, prostitution, and filth

false

True or False: Naturalistic authors tend to be attached to the narrative (trying to maintain a subjective tone)

true

True or False: Naturalistic writers use a “plot of decline” (one that depicts a character’s progression toward degeneration or death)