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Realism (1860 – 1890). Realism vs. Romanticism. ROMANTIC VIEW OF WAR. The Civil War: A Romantic Depiction. The Civil War: A Realistic Depiction.
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Photography was a new invention at the time of the Civil War. Unlike the American Revolution or other battles, people witnessed actual photographs documenting the horror and reality of war.
Romanticism Aspired to the positive and the ideal Thought to be more refined and sophisticated since it did not show the vulgar details of life Allowed readers to escape from harsh realities Realism Aspired to see the world as it is Some were critical of the potential for vulgarity and its emphasis on the commonplace and impure characters Allowed readers to face the truth about what was going on in society Romanticismvs. Realism
The Swedish film Let the Right One In depicts the “Realistic” harsh and unglamorous life of Eli, a lonely vampire living in poverty, who struggles each day to feed herself and survive. Romanticismvs. Realism Twilight’s Edward reflects a Romantic view of life as a vampire. He falls in love, he can survive without killing people, and….he sparkles!
Romanticism vs. Realism Romantic Tone: “The flush which still lingered above the pines in the western sky was not more bright nor delicate than the bloom on her cheek…” ~Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper REALIST TONE: “For her, just outside the door of the concert hall, lay the black pond with the cattle-tracked bluffs; the tall, unpainted house, with weather-curled boards; naked as a tower, the crook-backed ash seedlings where the dish-cloths hung to dry; the gaunt, molting turkeys picking up refuse about the kitchen door.” ~“A Wagner Matinee” by Willa Cather
Realism was a response against romanticism • The Romantic novel offered readers implausible escape, adventure, daring chases, and heroic acts of courage—kind of primitive James Bond or Indiana Jones stories.
REALISM: A response to Romanticism • Realists wrote about ordinarylife--life in the slums and factories of the cities. Their characters were often workers, corrupt politicians, prostitutes, and the destitute.
realism DEFINITION Realism is “that which does not shrink from the commonplace…or from the unpleasant…in its effort to depict things as they are, life as it is…” ~Bliss Perry, Professor of Literature at Princeton and Harvard University (1900-1930)
“Realism is nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material” --William Dean Howells, “Editor’s Study,” November 1889. William Dean Howells—an American author often considered the father of “Realism.”
William Dean Howells • His short story “Editha” focuses on a young woman who bullies her boyfriend into fighting in a war because she believes it to be glorious and manly. • But reality steps in and he is among the first wave of soldiers brutally killed.
realism characteristics • The truth of experience was found in events described accurately and objectively, not in the writer’s imagination Early Nickelodeon moving picture show from Thomas Edison, another new technology of this era that influenced artists’ depiction of reality.
realism characteristics • For example, nonfiction and fictional works addressed the reality of the horror of slavery in the United States.
realism characteristics Characters’ diction reflects natural regional dialect, instead of heightened or poetic dialogue Dat truck dah is trash! The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn “Let fiction cease to lie about life. . . let it not put on fine literary airs; let it speak the dialect, the language, that most Americans know, the language of unaffected people everywhere…” ~W. D. Howells, 1887
realism characteristics • Character is more important than action and plot; complex ethical choices are often the subject. American Realist painter, George John Brown
realism characteristics In Kate Chopin’s story “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” a poor woman with children finds fifteen dollars. She faces an ethical choice: should she will spend the money on her kids or on herself?
Realism: A RISE IN THE VOICE OF WOMEN Charlotte Perkins Gilman Helen Hunt Jackson Kate Chopin Edith Wharton Sarah Orne Jewett
Realism: A RISE IN THE VOICE OF WOMEN • Women writers, though more common, struggled to gain credibility, so many works were not recognized for their literary significance until the 1960s and 1970s. • During the age of Realism, female creativity was often still considered a contradiction in terms. • Creativity itself was considered masculine—an act of productivity, incompatible with a woman’s prescribed role as being merely reproductive.
Realism: A RISE IN THE VOICE OF WOMEN • Women writers began confronting and responding to the restrictive reality of their lives: • A role that was limited to motherhood and domestic work in the home • The expectation to always act with submission and obedience to their husbands’ wishes • Laws that did not allow them to vote, hold jobs, own property, or, in some cases, even become educated
Realism: A RISE IN THE VOICE OF WOMEN • Their stories and novels are known for their psychological realism • A recurring theme in their writing was the idea that women could awaken with the realization of entrapment, and yet somehow find a way to be liberated—even if only in their minds.
