1 / 19

Unit 4

Unit 4. Regionalism and Naturalism. Realism (Regionalism and Naturalism are offshoots of this). Lit Movement developed in 19 th century Seeks to portray life accurately; depicted life objectively and honestly No sentimentality or idealism

dmitri
Download Presentation

Unit 4

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Unit 4 Regionalism and Naturalism

  2. Realism (Regionalism and Naturalism are offshoots of this) • Lit Movement developed in 19th century • Seeks to portray life accurately; depicted life objectively and honestly • No sentimentality or idealism • Often focuses on lower and middle classes-ordinary people in ordinary situations

  3. Historical context- Regionalism and Naturalism (1870-1910) • Post-Civil War (Reconstruction): Readmitting southern states to the Union • South left in ruins; people suffering more than ever; racism worse than before or during war • America lacks money, property, education; African-Americans lack respect and rights granted (equal rights and the vote)

  4. “Gilded Age”- Named by Twain • Wealthy did “everything but coat themselves in gold” • Booming industries= railroad, meatpacking, steel, oil • Wealth gap Small group controlled a large portion of money • Rockefellers (oil) Vanderbilts (steel) • Inventions- model T and lightbulb

  5. “Have-nots” • Native Americans: pushed onto Reservations; fight back (Sitting Bull, Chief Joseph of Nez Pierce • African-Americans- free, but pressed with Jim Crow laws- segregration • Immigrants- worked in crowded factories, cramped living areas; 16 hour days in sweatshops • Independent farmers struggled to keep farms

  6. Ideas • Many joined Populist Party/labor unions-tried to join to protect rights • Laissez Faire v. Progressivism • Social Darwinism “Survival of the fittest” • Laissez Faire mentality= “Allow to do” • Progressives= alleviate injustices, government should DO something

  7. Regionalism • People eager to hear about life in mining camps, cattle ranches, frontier towns- every day experience • Transcontinental railroad (westward expansion, travel, encounters with diversity) • Aim of writing- preserve cultural identity; capture imagination, alleviate prejudice: Twain and Harte • Literary Movement: Writers accurately represent actions, speech, dress, history, folklore, beliefs from specific geographic regions

  8. Local Color • Writing that brings a region alive by portraying its dress, mannerisms, customs, character types, and speech • Ex- Jim from Huck Finn (The “First American Novel”) • Dialect, dress

  9. Naturalism • Inspired by Darwinism • Offshoot of Realism • Harsh reality; We are helpless creatures moved by forces beyond control or understanding; fate is not in our hands • Jack London- tales of the arctic world- White Fang and The Call of the Wild

  10. Women’s Rights • Fighting for right to vote/education • Frustration with current state; lack of support and ability to express themselves • Reflected Naturalist ideas- forces beyond control • Explore madness, ruin, scandal, death! • Chopin and Gilman- bad marriages, dark mental state

  11. Twain 1835-1910 • Regionalist writer • Samuel Langhorn Clemens • Grew up in Hannibal, Missouri on MS River • Worked in journalism industry • Spent four years working on the river • Inspired humorous sketches • Panned for gold in West (Jumping Frog)

  12. Twain contd. • Traveled a lot- inspired writing greatly • Employed humor- expert at Satire • Wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer • Huck Finn- Greatest American Novel • Faced bankruptcy, lost two daughters • Delivered humorous speeches but dark, angry writing toward end of life

  13. A Tall Tale • American form of storytelling • Outlandish characters and events • Based on oral tradition • Uses various devices to impress listener: • Hyperbole • Understatement • Local Color

  14. Techniques used in Tall Tales • Hyperbole= exaggeration or overstating a point • Understatement=downplaying the significance of the outlandish- meant to be ironic and humorous • Local Color=Writing that brings a region to life by portraying dress, mannerisms, customs, character types, and speech

  15. Dialect • Part of local color • Read slowly • Try to say it aloud • “You’d see that frog whirling in the air like a doughnut- see him turn one sommmerset.”

  16. Short story review- Regionalism • Notorious Jumping Frog (Tall Tale)- Page 684: Characters, Basic plot line, Local Color, Hyperbole, Understatement • Outcasts of Poker Flat (Page 698) Characters, Basic plot line, Local Color

  17. Short Story Review- Naturalism • “The Law of Life” p. 770- Jack London- Characters, basic plot, Human connection with nature • “The Story of an Hour” p. 784- Kate Chopin- Characters, plot, irony

More Related