American-Realism

TheAmericanRealism(1865-1918)ThereasonsforthecomingofAmericanrealism:1)TheCivilWarwhichbrokeoutin1861ledpeopletoquestiontheassumptions:naturalgoodness,therelationshipbetweennatureandman,themercyofGod.2)increasingindustrializationandmechanizationofthecountrycausedextremesofwealthandpoverty,whichstrengthenstheirconflicts.I.Introduction3)Thefrontierwasabouttoclose,areexaminationoflifebegan.Beneaththeglitteringsurfaceofprospectivetherelaysufferingandunhappiness,Disillusionmentandfrustrationwerewidelyfelt.4)TheageofRomanticismandTranscendentalismwasbyandlargeover.Meanwhileyoungerwritersappearedonthescene,suchasWilliamDeanHowells,HenryJames,MarkTwain,andsoon,whichmeansthecomingofnewliteraryage,Americanrealism.LiteraryTerm:RealismItis,inliterature,anapproachthatattemptstodescribelifewithoutidealizationorromanticsubjectivity.Inpart.RealismwasareactionagainsttheRomanticemphasisonthestrange,idealistic,andlong-agoandfar-away.Althoughrealismisnotlimitedtoanyonecenturyorgroupofwriters,itismostoftenassociatedwiththeliterarymovementin19th-centuryFrance,specificallywiththeFrenchnovelistsFlaubertandBalzac.GeorgeEliotintroducedrealismintoEngland,andWilliamDeanHowellsintroduceditintotheUnitedStates.Realismhasbeenchieflyconcernedwiththecommonplacesofeverydaylifeamongthemiddleandlowerclasses,wherecharacterisaproductofsocialfactorsandenvironmentistheintegralelementinthedramaticcomplications.Latterwritersfeltthatrealismlaidtoomuchemphasisonexternalreality.Many,notablyHenryJames,turnedtoapsychologicalrealismthatcloselyexaminedthecomplexworkingsofthemind.WhatisAmericanrealism?Asaliterarymovementrealismcameinthelatterhalfofthenineteenthcenturyasareactionagainst“thelie”ofromanticism.AmericanrealistssoughttoportrayAmericanlifeasitreallywas,insistingthattheordinaryandthelocalwereassuitableforartisticportrayalofthemagnificentandtheremote.MostAmericanrealistsfoundtheirsubjectmatterintheexperiencesoftheAmericanmiddleclass.Theyintendedtolimitthemselvestooptimistictreatmentofthesurfaceoflife.Americanrealismdevelopedintonaturalismattheendofthecentury.ThreeGiantsinRealisticPeriod1.WilliamDeanHowells:DeanofAmericanRealism2.HenryJames3.MarkTwainWilliamDeanHowellsWilliamDeanHowellsWilliamDeanHowells(March1,1837–May11,1920)wasanAmericanrealistauthorandliterarycritic.CriticismandFictionTheRiseofSilasLaphamHisRealisticprinciplesa.Realismisfidelitytoexperienceandprobabilityofmotive.b.ManinhisnaturalandunaffecteddullnesswastheobjectofHowells’sfictionalrepresentation.c.Realisminterpretsthecommonfeelingsofthecommonplacepeople.d.Truthisthehighestbeauty;moralitypenetratesallthings.LocalColorism&MarkTwainWhatisLocalColorism?Thedetailedrepresentationinprosefictionofthesetting,dialect,customs,dress,andwaysofthinkingandfeelingwhicharedistinctiveofaparticularregion.LocalColorismHamlinGarland“suchqualityoftextureandbackgroundthatitcouldnothavebeenwritteninanyotherplaceorbyanyoneelsethananative”Theultimateaim:tocreatetheillusionofanindigenous本土的littleworldwithqualitiesthattellitapartfromtheworldoutsideMotivationsPsychologically:expandwestward,withoutacohesiveculture,psychologicalneedtoassertculturalidentityIntellectually:thefrontierhumoristspreparethegroundforlocalcolorism.GeneralFeaturesAtendencytoglorifyandidealize.Minutelyaccuratedescriptionsofthelifeoftheregionsandtruthfuldepictionofthecommonpeople.MarkTwain(1836-1910)“AllofAmericanliteraturecomesfromonegreatbook,Twain’sAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn.”(ErnestHemingway)“Inmyopinion,MarkTwainwasthefirsttrulyAmericanwriter,andallofussincearehisheirs,whodescendedfromhim.”(WilliamFaulkner)MarkTwain’sLifeSamuelLanghorneClemens,Hanibal,Missouri(1835)Leavingschool(1847)ApilotontheMississippiRiver(1857-1861)FriendshipwithHowellsandMarriage(OliviaLangdon)(1870)Helostallhismoneythroughbadinvestments(1895)HisWritingsTheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty(1865)TheGildedAge(1873)TheAdventuresofTomSawyer(1876)TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn(1884)LifeontheMississippi(1883)AConnecticutYankeeinKingArthur’sCourt(1889)TheManThatCorruptedHadleyburg(1900)MarkTwainasaRealistTwainwasfirstandforemostknownasalocalcolorist:HistheoriesoflocalismThenovelistslaysbeforeyouthewaysandspeechandlifeofafewpeoplegroupedinacertainplace—hisownplace—andthatisonebook.Intime,heandhisbrethrenwillreporttoyouthelifeandthepeopleofthewholenation.“…FromwhichallmodernAmericanliteraturecomes”——(ErnestHemingway)CharacterizationofHuckFinnAtypicalAmericanboywith“asoundheartandadeformedconscience”“Weblowedoutacylinder-head”“Goodgracious!Anybodyhurt?”“No’m.Killedanigger.”“Well,it’slucky;becausesometimespeopledogethurt”(aconversationbetweenFinnandauntSally)AninnocentandreluctantrebelThemesofthenovelThecontrastsbetweeninnocenceandexperience,natureandculture,wildernessandcivilization.Thethemeofself-realizationandofseekingone'sidentity(Canyoudeducethesymbolicmeaningofthejourneydowntheriver?)ajourneyofgrowthandmaturityandabouthowHuckchangedhisprejudiceagainsttheBlackpeople.thegrowthofachildandtherelationshipbetweenhumanbeingsare