Realism, Regionalism, and Naturalism in American Literature

Frederick Douglass

Rose out of slavery to become one of the most gifted writers and orators of his time.

Abolition of Slavery

The movement to end the practice of slavery and promote civil rights.

Douglass's Background

Born on a Maryland plantation and separated from his birth mother as an infant.

Education

An unquenchable thirst for knowledge that Douglass developed while learning to read and write.

Escape to Massachusetts

At the age of 20, Douglass escaped to a free state to avoid arrest as a fugitive.

Consultant for President Lincoln

Douglass held several government positions, including US minister to Haiti.

Public Life

In 1841, Douglass lectured against slavery and for civil rights despite the fear of arrest.

Mistress's Kindness

Initially taught Douglass education, sparking his passion for learning.

Diminished Humanity

The idea of slavery diminishes the enslaved and enslaver's character.

Empathy for the Mistress

Douglass empathizes with his mistress, who struggles with her role as a slave owner.

Ignorance as Control

Owners kept slaves ignorant to prevent them from understanding their limitations.

Separation of Individual from Institution

Douglass separates the individual character of slave owners from the institution of slavery.

Education and Slavery

The mistress believed education and slavery had no relation.

Payment for Education

Douglass brought bread into town as payment to young boys for teaching him.

Learning to Read

At 13 years old, Douglass learned how to read properly.

Sojourner Truth

An abolitionist and women's rights activist who lived from 1797 to 1883.

She was known as being one of the first AA women who went to court against a white man and WON.

Background of Sojourner Truth

Brought by John and Sally Dumont a couple of years later.

Intersexalism

Combining 2 concepts together (racism and sexism, for example).

Abraham Lincoln

Served as the president during the most tragic time in US history, from 1809-1865.

Emancipation

Freeing someone from the control of another.

The Gettysburg Address

On November 19, 1863, Lincoln addressed the nation at the dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield, which was a national cemetery.

Naturalism

A literary movement that developed in reaction to Romanticism, questioning ideals about human goodness and nature's beauty.

Builds upon realism by suggesting that human lives are determined by forces beyond individual control, such as heredity, environment, and social conditions.

Stephen Crane

Author of 'An Episode of War' and a leader of the Naturalist movement.

Civil War

Until WWII, it was the bloodiest conflict in American history, claiming the lives of 600,000 soldiers.

Field Hospitals

Conditions were so primitive that twice as many soldiers died from infections as from combat wounds.

Point of View

The perspective or vantage point from which the story is told, affecting every aspect of a story.

Omniscient Point of View

Narrator is an observer who can relate everything that happens, as well as private thoughts and feelings of the characters.

Limited Third Person Point of View

Readers' information is limited to what a single character feels, thinks, and observes.

Stream of Consciousness

A technique in which a character's thoughts are presented as the mind experiences them (short bursts without obvious logic).

Ambrose Bierce

His worldview was shaped by his career as a Union officer in the Civil War, known for writing about cruelty and death.

Bitter Bierce

Nickname for Ambrose Bierce due to his cynical writing about the brutality of war.

Cynical

Ambrose Bierce was known for being handsome but cynical, often writing malicious material.

Horrifying Truths of Slavery

Sojourner Truth became a noted abolitionist and argued against these truths.

Discrimination and Racism

After the Civil War ended in 1865, Sojourner Truth continued to battle these effects.

The Battle of Gettysburg

Fought in July 1863, resulting in 51,000 soldiers injured.

272 Words

The length of The Gettysburg Address delivered by Lincoln.

Naturalists

Writers like Crane who depict characters manipulated by forces beyond their understanding or control.

Common Themes in Naturalism

Harsh reality of war, degradation of humanity, social rebellion, betrayal, guilt.

Indifference to death

A state of emotional detachment or lack of concern regarding death, particularly in the context of war.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something that characters do not.

Realism

Aims to portray life accurately and without idealization, focusing on everyday situations and ordinary people.

Regionalism

A form of realism that emphasizes a particular geographic region and its culture, including dialect, customs, and traditions.

Abolition

The action or an act of abolishing a system, practice, or institution, like slavery.

Tone

Overall vibe or emotional mood of a piece of writing.

Autobiography

A person's account of his or her life.

Narrative Poetry

Tells a story and has the same literary elements as works of prose fiction; ballads and epic poems are examples.

Incongruity

Means something that is out of place, unsuitable, or doesn't fit logically with its surroundings or context.

Verbal Irony

When a person says one thing but means the opposite.

Situational Irony

When the opposite of what is expected happens.

Epitaph

A short, often poetic, inscription or statement commemorating a deceased person, typically carved on a tombstone or monument.

Irony

A literary device that highlights a discrepancy between expectation and reality.

Suffragists

Individuals advocating for rights to be extended to more people, especially women.

Setting

The time and place in which a story occurs.

Internal Conflict

A psychological struggle within a character.

External Conflict

A struggle between a character and an outside force.

Types of Irony

Includes verbal irony, situational irony, and dramatic irony.

Historical Context

The social, cultural, and political environment that surrounds a particular event or work.

Domestic Realm

Refers to the home environment and its associated social dynamics.