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Rise of Realism

Rise of Realism. Based on the experiences during the Civil War, writers turned to realistic writing in which they sought to portray real life without a Romantic, idealistic outlook on life.

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Rise of Realism

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  1. Rise of Realism Based on the experiences during the Civil War, writers turned to realistic writing in which they sought to portray real life without a Romantic, idealistic outlook on life. They wanted to portray REAL life without filtering it through personal feelings, romanticism or idealism. Additionally, they wanted to faithfully represent the environment and manners of everyday life.

  2. Regionalism • Literature that emphasizes specific geographic setting and that makes use of speech and manners of the people who live in that region. • American realism has its roots in regionalism. • Dialect- Language characteristics of a particular group

  3. Mark Twain • Best-known example of a regional writer • Wrote satirically • Novels include a biting (satirical) view of some of the injustices inherent in pre-Civil War life. • Best known novel – The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn • Samuel Longhorne Clemens (real name)

  4. Synopsis of Pudd'nhead Wilson by Charles Smith Pudd’nhead Wilson is the pre-Civil War story of the two sons of Judge Driscoll, the chief citizen of Dawson’s Landing, Missouri. One of those sons - Tom - is his legal heir and the child of his wife. The other, Chambers, is his child by his house slave, Roxy. After the Judge’s wife dies, Roxy is left in charge of both infant children, who are close enough in features and coloring to be twins. When Roxy is threatened with being sold “down the river” and away from her son, she decides to switch the babies in their cradles. The two boys grow up with each other’s identities – the slave Chambers as the rich ne’er-do-well Tom Driscoll, and the real heir, Tom, as the slave Chambers. Roxy reveals the switch to her son, the usurping Tom, who reacts with disbelief, but later begins to question all aspects of his personality and identity. The arrival of flamboyant Italian twins wakes the town’s prejudices and hypocrisies. When crimes begin to occur, including a violent murder, the lawyer David “Pudd'nhead” Wilson uses his deductive skills to investigate them. His investigations, and his interest in the new science of fingerprinting, lead to the courtroom revelation of Roxy’s switch. The townspeople feel that justice has been served, but can there be justice in a society where slavery exists?

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