NINETEENTH-CENTURY LITERARY MOVEMENTS: REGIONALISM AND LOCAL COLOR

1. NINETEENTH-CENTURY LITERARY MOVEMENTS:REGIONALISM AND LOCAL COLOR Definitions Backgrounds Characteristics

2. REGIONALISM AND LOCAL COLOR A. DEFINITIONS BOTH TERMS REFER TO LITERATURE THAT DEALS WITH THE PEOPLE OF NON-URBAN AREAS SEEN AS OUTSIDE OF, AND DIFFERENT FROM, THE METROPOLIS (MAJOR URBAN CENTER).

3. THIS TYPE OF LITERATURE, MOSTLY FICTION, FLOURISHED IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY. THE GENRES OVERLAP, AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO TERMS SEEMS TO BE MAINLY QUALITATIVE.

4. REGIONALISM CRITICS CALL WORKS REGIONAL OR REGIONALIST IF THE ATTITUDE OF THE NARRATOR IS SERIOUS� READERS ARE LED TO IDENTIFY WITH THE CHARACTERS, WHOSE PROBLEMS AND ISSUES SERIOUSLY AFFECT THEIR WELFARE AND REFLECT UNIVERSAL CONDITIONS OF LIFE.

5. LOCAL-COLOR WRITING WORKS ARE CALLED LOCAL-COLOR WRITING IF 1. THE AUTHOR�S INTENTION IS MAINLY LIMITED TO SHOWING THE PICTURESQUE SIDE OF A REGION (URBAN LIFE BEING THE NORM AGAINST WHICH THEY ARE CONTRASTED);

6. 2. THE STORIES ARE SENTIMENTAL: THE PLOT DEPENDS ON IMPROBABLE EVENTS TO PRODUCE POETIC JUSTICE AND A HAPPY ENDING.

7. THE NARRATOR�S ATTITUDE IS SLIGHTLY CONDESCENDING, TREATING THE CHARACTERS AS AMUSING STEREOTYPES OR HARMLESS ECCENTRICS; THE STORIES ARE BRIEF SKETCHES IN WHICH THE PLOT DOES NOT TURN ON THE ISSUES OF SURVIVAL.

8. B. BACKGROUND 1. THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION HELPED CREATE A SOLID MIDDLE CLASS. 2. THE GROWTH OF TECHNOLOGY PROMOTED MOVEMENT AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT REGIONS: RAILWAYS PRINTING� BOOKS, NEWSPAPERS, AND MAGAZINES and TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS

9. 3. THE INTEREST IN FOLKLORE AND IN PICTURESQUE AND EXOTIC PLACES (FOSTERED BY ROMANTICISM) CONTINUED IN THE FORM OF CURIOSITY ABOUT REGIONAL DIFFERENCES: GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE CHARACTERS TYPICAL OF A REGION WAYS OF MAKING A LIVING CUSTOMS AND MANNERS VALUES AND BELIEFS (FOLKWAYS) DIALECT�DISTINCTIVE TYPICAL SPEECH

10. C. SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF REGIONALISM AND LOCAL COLOR 1. THE SETTING IS NON-URBAN AND LARGELY NATURAL�NATURE MAY BE SIMPLY PICTURESQUE OR EXOTIC, OR IT MAY HAVE OVERWHELMING GRANDEUR OR VIOLENCE; 2. THE NATURAL SETTING IS A FACTOR IN THE PLOT, CONTRIBUTING TO THE CONFLICT OR THE RESOLUTION, CONDITIONING HUMAN EFFORTS;

11. 3. THE CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN FORMED AT LEAST IN PART BY THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND ARE TYPICAL OF THE REGION; 4. THE NARRATIVE TONE REFLECTS NOSTALGIA FOR THE PAST OR LOYALTY TO LOCAL VALUES AND WAYS;

12. 5. THE DIALOGUE ATTEMPTS TO REPRODUCE REGIONAL DIALECT�VOCABULARY, GRAMMAR, AND PRONUNCIATION; 6. DESCRIPTIVE DETAILS OF SETTING, PERSONAL APPEARANCE, AND ARTEFACTS ARE TYPICAL OF THE REGION AND REFLECT LOCAL CONDITIONS OF LIFE.

13. END OF PRESENTATION . . . WHICH OF THE STORIES WE HAVE READ SHOW CHARACTERISTICS OF REGIONALIST WRITING, AND WHICH ARE LOCAL COLOR? MENTION THE RELEVANT CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH STORY YOU NAME.