Realism

1. Realism Andrew Bond, Billy Johns, Jack Lundstedt, Carina Manitius, and Sarah Nelson

2. Essential Question: After the Civil War and with the increasing settlement on the Prairie, the reality of hardships led to a more realistic interpretation of people and their problems in the literary works of the time.

3. Literary Effects • Came after the idealist depiction of the Romanticism era • Realism sought to portray life as faithfully and accurately as possible • Focused of real people and their real problems going through everyday harsh realities • Naturalism, a branch of realism, also sought to portray ordinary life, but suggested that environment, hereditary, and chance (forces that you can’t control) determined a person’s fate • Realism gives the more real depiction of events while naturalism gives the more idealized version

4. Historical Atmosphere • The realism movement began in the 19th century with writers and artists • taking an interest in recording the true realities of American life • Realism is a reaction against the romanticism of European literature • The events of the Civil War and subsequent abolition of slavery resulted in • Many changes in American way of life • Writers observed these changes and attempted to record the new harsh • Realities of American life • Post-slavery African-Americans contributed to the realism movement with • their religious songs and poems called spirituals and cultural stories passed • Down through generations • The growth of American industry and urban life encouraged writers to • Portray the distinctly unique American city life

5. Scientific Atmosphere • The scientific method lead writers to think rationally and write explicitly • Enlightened reasoning was being applied in the literary works of the time. • In naturalism, writers write very much like scientist examining data from an experiment. They dissected the laws that dictated humans’ lives and expressed their opinions and findings of why these laws exist in their writing. • This genre also exposes the savage within humans and how survival or violence can expose a character’s true colors. • Common theme: free will is just an illusion, taboo, nature is indifferent to it acts on, man versus nature, man versus self. • Events in stories are possible outcomes because writers are thinking like scientists and giving possible solutions (events) that make the story make logical sense. • Darwin’s evolutionary theories led to the creation of many dynamic characters because both dynamic characters and evolution have some kind of change involved in their definitions.

6. William Howells • First American author to adopt realism in literature in United States, and regarded as the “Father of realism”. His view on realism is explained as follows: • "I hope the time is coming when not only the artist, but the common, average man, who always 'has the standard of the arts in his power,' will have also the courage to apply it, and will reject the ideal grasshopper wherever he finds it, in science, in literature, in art, because it is not 'simple, natural, and honest,' because it is not like a real grasshopper. But I will own that I think the time is yet far off, and that the people who have been brought up on the ideal grasshopper, the heroic grasshopper, the impassioned grasshopper, the self-devoted, adventureful, good old romantic card-board grasshopper, must die out before the simple, honest, and natural grasshopper can have a fair field.”

7. Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) • Was a master at conjuring a perfectly vivid sense of time and place. Used this as well as his expertise with pathos (appealing to emotion) to expose the injustices of society at the time such as slavery . The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is arguably his greatest work.

8. Stephen Crane • Had many themes including ideals versus realities, spiritual crises, loss of identity and fear. Also was fascinated by war and death, as seen in The Red Badge of Courage, which depicts a cowardly soldier in the Union army during the Civil War. Also focuses on psychology of the soldiers, rather than the actual war itself (very realistic).

9. Mary Freeman • Focused primarily on the plight of women, and depicted it as realistically as she could, in contrast to the way men perceived it at the time. Portrayed rebellious women as they struggle against the social constraints of the era. Was also fascinated with the impact of traditional Puritan values on New England culture, as well as religious constraints.

10. Jack London • Most well-known for his views of naturalism, London’s perceptions were derived from the calamities he faced on the frontier. On the frontier, he witnessed the brutalities of nature and extreme hardship, which is portrayed in many of his stories through animal or animalistic characters. In his stories, nature is cold, cruel, and in total control of its subjects as is seen in To Build a Fire.

11. It's Time For… Jeopardy!

13. Historical Atmosphere- 100 • The century that the realism movement began in.

14. Historical Atmosphere • What is the 19th century?

15. Historical Atmosphere- 200 • The literary movement that is the opposite of realism.

16. Historical Atmosphere • What is romanticism.

17. Historical Atmosphere- 300 • The change that took place in America that lead to the realism movement.

18. Historical Atmosphere • What is the Civil War or industry growth.

19. Historical Atmosphere- 400 • African-American religious writings that contributed to realism.

20. Historical Atmosphere • What are spirituals.

21. Scientific Atmosphere- 100 • Came up with the evolutionary model.

22. Scientific Atmosphere • Who is Charles Darwin?

23. Scientific Atmosphere- 200 • A common theme in literary works of this time period.

24. Scientific Atmosphere • What is free will is just an illusion, taboo, nature is indifferent to it acts on, man versus nature, or man versus self?

25. Scientific Atmosphere- 300 • Lead writers to think rationally and write explicitly.

26. Scientific Atmosphere • What is the scientific method?

27. Scientific Atmosphere- 400 • Brought about the use of more dynamic characters.

28. Scientific Atmosphere • What is Darwin’s evolutionary theory?

29. Authors and Their Works- 100 • The first author to adopt realism in the United States.

30. Authors and Their Works • Who is William Howell?

31. Authors and Their Works - 200 • Author of To Build a Fire.

32. Authors and Their Works • Who is Jack London?

33. Authors and Their Works- 300 • Wrote about the psychology of soldiers during the Civil War.

34. Authors and Their Works • Who is Stephen Crane?

35. Authors and Their Works- 400 • Also known as Mark Twain.

36. Authors and Their Works • Who is Samuel Clemens?

37. Misc.- 100 • The southernmost city in the United States of America.

38. Misc. • What is Key West?

39. Misc. - 200 • Appears in Definitely Maybe, Buried, and Safe House.

40. Misc. • Who is Ryan Reynolds?

41. Misc.- 300 • The country with the highest per capita wine consumption.

42. Misc. • What is France?

43. Misc. - 400 • Got it’s name from it’s army name as a “General Purpose” vehicle.

44. Misc. • What is a Jeep (GP)?

45. FINAL JEOPARDY

46. Final Jeopardy • The definition of realism.