REALISM

1850-1914

1. The first mappings and surveyings of the West. 2. The rails of the first transcontinental railroad

bound East and West.

Historical Context: WESTWARD EXPANSION

1. The East asked, “What kinds of people leading what kinds of life are at the end of those bands of iron?”

2. The Western regionalists answered: Men and women like yourselves, but dressed differently, speaking differently, with different social ways. fantastic deserts, mile deep canyons, mountains high enough to bear snow the year round, forests with trees as wide as man can stretch and wider, camps where the only currency is gold-dust.

Historical Context – Regionalism

Regionalism: East vs. West, North vs. South

East Coast vs. West Coast TOWNS

East vs. West LANDSCAPE

Appalachian vs. Rocky Mountains

Stories aren’t just being told about life in the East.

1. Writers of the South told of swamps

2. Mid-western authors narrated the tales of the plains

The literary map of America began to spread across the country.

1. Insistence upon "the experienced commonplace".

2. Character is more important than plot. 3. Attack upon romanticism and romantic writers. 4. Morality is often self-realized.5. A realization of democracy.

Principles Of Realism-WRITE DOWN

1. Realism is non-transcendental. Its purpose is to instruct and entertain, rather than to explore spiritual and extraordinary ideas.

2. The subject matter of Realism is drawn from human experience.

3. Relations between people and society are explored.

Identifying Characteristic-WRITE DOWN

•Humans control their destinies; characters act on their environment rather than simply reacting to it.

•Who a character is is more important than what happens to that character.

THE CHARACTERS (LIKE THE WORLD) ARE COMPLEX (e.g., NOT ALL GOOD OR ALL BAD)/

Realistic Characterization

The use of symbolism is controlled and limited; Realists depend more on the use of images.

The Use Of Symbolism And Imagery 

1. Settings thoroughly familiar to the writer

2. Plots emphasizing the norm of daily experience

3. Ordinary characters, studied in depth

4. Responsible morality; a world truly reported

Realistic Techniques-WRITE DOWN