AMERICAN REALISMAMERICAN REALISM1865-1910 1865-1910

Objectives/Goals for this UnitObjectives/Goals for this Unit

RL 11.1: Cite strong and thorough evidence to support analysis of what the text specifically says as well as inferences

RI 11.2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over a text.

RL 11.3: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

RL 11.6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the context and style of a text

Objectives cont.Objectives cont.

RI 11.3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events – and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop – cause/effect, definition?, problem/cause, etc.

RI 11.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is effective. Analyze style and content for power, persuasion, and/or beauty.

Lit Terms for UnitLit Terms for Unit

Author’s Point of Author’s Point of viewview

PurposePurpose

The author’s point of view is his feeling, opinion, or belief about his topic (different from narrator POV). 

The author’s purpose (a.k.a., author’s intent) is his reason for writing.  - entertain, persuade, inform/educate,  

Central ideaCentral idea

Author’s ChoicesAuthor’s Choices

Author’s StyleAuthor’s Style

The central idea is like a thesis statement in an essay; it is a statement of your main points.

author's deliberate selection of stylistic devices in order to present his ideas

author's style - the choices the author made regarding diction, syntax, tone, imagery, POV, etc.

DictionDiction

SyntaxSyntax

Deliberate Deliberate choice of wordschoice of words

Sentence Sentence structure of a structure of a text.text.

More HistoryMore History

The The industrial revolution industrial revolution took place took place at the end of the 19th century and at the end of the 19th century and changed the country in many ways. changed the country in many ways.

People left the country and went to People left the country and went to the city to live. the city to live.

With With new machinery and equipment, new machinery and equipment, the economy focused on factories. the economy focused on factories. Farming was no longer relied on so Farming was no longer relied on so heavily. heavily.

The The immigration boom occurred. immigration boom occurred. People worldwide flocked to the USA.People worldwide flocked to the USA.

Characteristics of Realism LiteratureCharacteristics of Realism Literature

Setting, Tone, Setting, Tone, and Motifsand Motifs

Characterization Characterization and Themeand Theme

They drew on the They drew on the grim grim realities of life in poor realities of life in poor urban areas, bleak, urban areas, bleak, despairing tones, and despairing tones, and motifs about the motifs about the breakdown of traditional breakdown of traditional values.values.

characters characters were ordinary, were ordinary, everyday people. Plot everyday people. Plot was about everyday was about everyday existence.existence. Themes on the Themes on the complexities of the complexities of the human experiencehuman experience..

Literary WarsLiterary Wars

Verbal wars were waged over Verbal wars were waged over the ways that fictional the ways that fictional characters were presented in characters were presented in relation to their external world. relation to their external world.

Using plot and character Using plot and character development, a writer stated development, a writer stated his/her philosophy about how his/her philosophy about how much control mankind has over much control mankind has over his destiny his destiny

American Realists vs. American Realists vs. American NaturalistsAmerican Naturalists

American realists American realists believed believed that that humanity’s humanity’s freedom of choice freedom of choice was limited by the was limited by the power of outside power of outside forces.forces.

A person has A person has choices and some choices and some freewill, but freewill, but environment and environment and others can hamper others can hamper those choicesthose choices

American American naturalists naturalists supported the supported the determinism determinism movement. movement.

They argued that They argued that individuals have no individuals have no choice because a choice because a person’s life was person’s life was dictated by dictated by heredity and the heredity and the external external environmentenvironment..

Realism vs. NaturalismRealism vs. Naturalism Realism – stories Realism – stories

present the world as present the world as it really is (like a it really is (like a photo)photo)

Plots drawn from Plots drawn from details of everyday details of everyday life and uses dialectlife and uses dialect

Focus on central Focus on central character (plain character (plain everyday people) everyday people) who deals with a who deals with a moral strugglemoral struggle

Usually internal Usually internal strugglestruggle

Naturalism is Naturalism is outgrowth of Realism. outgrowth of Realism.

Presents world like a Presents world like a photo and uses dialectphoto and uses dialect

Not as interested in Not as interested in individual struggle, but individual struggle, but larger forces that larger forces that control people (war, control people (war, poverty, poverty, slavery,environment)slavery,environment)

More likely to deal with More likely to deal with the extraordinarythe extraordinary

Grim toneGrim tone

HOW THE GENRES PORTRAYEDHOW THE GENRES PORTRAYEDTHEIR CHARACTERSTHEIR CHARACTERS

Romantics – a godRomantics – a god Realists – simply a personRealists – simply a person Naturalists – a helpless objectNaturalists – a helpless object

RegionalismRegionalism

Their writing was regional, Their writing was regional, emphasizing specific geographic emphasizing specific geographic settings and made use of the settings and made use of the speech and manners of the speech and manners of the people that live in that region. people that live in that region.

In the face of modernization, In the face of modernization, people feared the loss of people feared the loss of traditions and folk ways, so traditions and folk ways, so writers set their stories in writers set their stories in specific American regions.specific American regions.