Transcript American Regionalism, Realism, and Naturalism

ENGLISH 11 UNIT 3
AMERICAN REGIONALISM,
REALISM, AND NATURALISM
1860-1920
Historical Context
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The post-Civil War period
America was reunited and transformed
Writers worked to define America’s differing regions
and come to terms with some harsh new realities
Romantic notions seem silly after a great war
Aftermath of The Civil War
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The South was in ruins after The Civil War
 Slavery
was abolished, but freed African Americans
lacked money, property, education, and opportunity
 Many farms, factories, and plantations were destroyed
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The government came up with a plan, known as
reconstruction, to solve these problems
Reconstruction’s Failures and Successes
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Reconstruction efforts did not go smoothly
 The
President and Congress clashed
 Southern states resisted African Americans’ new rights
 African Americans felt not enough was being done
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Few Successes:
 African
Americans gained citizenship, protection under
the law, and the right to vote
 Confederate states returned to the Union
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States were glad to be reunited but missed their
regional identities (rise of regionalism)
Post-Civil War Changes
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Transcontinental Railroad
 Many
people traveling West
 Westward expansion seen in local color writing (Twain)
 Railroad expanded industry
 Cities grew dramatically, but most money was in the
hands of only a few
 Photos: Building the transcontinental railroad
The Gilded Age
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After The Civil War, there was a time of excess and
wealth for a large portion of Americans.
Mark Twain referred to this period as “the gilded
age.”
Inventions:
 Telephone
 Model-T
Ford
 Light bulb (and hundreds of others – Edison)
The Have-Nots
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While this period was great for some, it was not for others.
Native Americans and African Americans had a very hard
time
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Reconstruction’s failures
Segregationist Jim Crow laws
Many immigrants came to America hoping for a better life,
and found themselves working long hours in sweat shops
Creation of labor unions
Many people felt held back by forces beyond their control
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Led to rise of naturalism
What is Realism?
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A faithful representation of reality in literature
Emphasis on development of believable characters.
Written in natural vernacular, or dialect.
Prominent from 1860-1890.
Realist Writers
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Mark Twain
William Dean Howells
Henry James
Edgar Lee Masters
Why did Realism develop?
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The Civil War
The urbanization and industrialization of America
As a reaction to Romanticism
Increasing rates of democracy and literacy
The emerging middle class
Upheaval and social change in the latter half of the
19th century
What is Regionalism?
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Often called “local color.”
Focuses on characters, dialect, customs, topography,
and other features specific to a certain region (eg. the
South)
 Writers
wanted to capture these things to preserve
regional identities
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Coincided with Realism and sharing many of the
same traits.
Prominent from 1865-1895.
Regionalist Writers
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Kate Chopin—South
Charlotte Perkins
Gilman—New
England
Mark Twain—West
Willa Cather—
Midwest
Why did Regionalism develop?
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Dual influence of Romanticism and Realism
The Civil War and the building of a national identity
An outgrowth of realism with more focus on a
particular setting and its influence over characters
What is Naturalism?
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Applied scientific principles of objectivity and
detachment to the study of human beings.
Influenced by Darwinism (natural selection) and
psychology (Freud)
Posited that men were governed by heredity and
environment.
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Often victims of their circumstances
Often depict man in conflict with nature, society, or
himself.
Prominent from 1880-1920(ish)
Naturalist Writers
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Stephen Crane
Jack London
Edith Wharton
Why did Naturalism develop?
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The swell of immigrants in the latter half of the 19th
century, which led to a larger lower class and increased
poverty in the cities (urban movement)
The prominence of psychology and the theories of
Sigmund Freud
Pessimism in the wake of the Civil War and
Reconstruction
Publication of Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species
Points to Remember…
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Realism, Regionalism, and Naturalism are intertwined
and connected.
Their influence has dominated most literature created
since 1920, though the movement itself is dated to
roughly that point.
They are truly American modes of writing.