American-Realism.ppt

TheAmericanRealism(1865-1918),ThereasonsforthecomingofAmericanrealism:TheCivilWarwhichbrokeoutin1861ledpeopletoquestiontheassumptions:naturalgoodness,therelationshipbetweennatureandman,themercyofGod.increasingindustrializationandmechanizationofthecountrycausedextremesofwealthandpoverty,whichstrengthenstheirconflicts.,I.Introduction,Thefrontierwasabouttoclose,areexaminationoflifebegan.Beneaththeglitteringsurfaceofprospectivetherelaysufferingandunhappiness,Disillusionmentandfrustrationwerewidelyfelt.TheageofRomanticismandTranscendentalismwasbyandlargeover.Meanwhileyoungerwritersappearedonthescene,suchasWilliamDeanHowells,HenryJames,MarkTwain,andsoon,whichmeansthecomingofnewliteraryage,Americanrealism.,LiteraryTerm:Realism,Itis,inliterature,anapproachthatattemptstodescribelifewithoutidealizationorromanticsubjectivity.Inpart.RealismwasareactionagainsttheRomanticemphasisonthestrange,idealistic,andlong-agoandfar-away.Althoughrealismisnotlimitedtoanyonecenturyorgroupofwriters,itismostoftenassociatedwiththeliterarymovementin19th-centuryFrance,specificallywiththeFrenchnovelistsFlaubertandBalzac.,GeorgeEliotintroducedrealismintoEngland,andWilliamDeanHowellsintroduceditintotheUnitedStates.Realismhasbeenchieflyconcernedwiththecommonplacesofeverydaylifeamongthemiddleandlowerclasses,wherecharacterisaproductofsocialfactorsandenvironmentistheintegralelementinthedramaticcomplications.Latterwritersfeltthatrealismlaidtoomuchemphasisonexternalreality.Many,notablyHenryJames,turnedtoapsychologicalrealismthatcloselyexaminedthecomplexworkingsofthemind.,WhatisAmericanrealism?Asaliterarymovementrealismcameinthelatterhalfofthenineteenthcenturyasareactionagainst“thelie”ofromanticism.AmericanrealistssoughttoportrayAmericanlifeasitreallywas,insistingthattheordinaryandthelocalwereassuitableforartisticportrayalofthemagnificentandtheremote.MostAmericanrealistsfoundtheirsubjectmatterintheexperiencesoftheAmericanmiddleclass.Theyintendedtolimitthemselvestooptimistictreatmentofthesurfaceoflife.Americanrealismdevelopedintonaturalismattheendofthecentury.,ThreeGiantsinRealisticPeriod,1.WilliamDeanHowells:DeanofAmericanRealism2.HenryJames3.MarkTwain,WilliamDeanHowells,WilliamDeanHowells,WilliamDeanHowells(March1,1837May11,1920)wasanAmericanrealistauthorandliterarycritic.CriticismandFictionTheRiseofSilasLapham,HisRealisticprinciples,a.Realismisfidelitytoexperienceandprobabilityofmotive.b.ManinhisnaturalandunaffecteddullnesswastheobjectofHowellssfictionalrepresentation.c.Realisminterpretsthecommonfeelingsofthecommonplacepeople.d.Truthisthehighestbeauty;moralitypenetratesallthings.,LocalColorismbecausesometimespeopledogethurt”(aconversationbetweenFinnandauntSally)Aninnocentandreluctantrebel,Themesofthenovel,Thecontrastsbetweeninnocenceandexperience,natureandculture,wildernessandcivilization.Thethemeofself-realizationandofseekingonesidentity(Canyoudeducethesymbolicmeaningofthejourneydowntheriver?)ajourneyofgrowthandmaturityandabouthowHuckchangedhisprejudiceagainsttheBlackpeople.thegrowthofachildandtherelationshipbetweenhumanbeingsareuniversaltheme:Humanismultimatelytriumphs.,Contributionsofthebook,TheprofoundportraitofHuckFinnandveritablerecreationoflivingmodels,Thecolloquialstyle.“Inthisbook,anumberofdialectsareused,towit:theMissourinegrodialect;theextremestformsofthebackwoodsSouthwesterndialect;theordinaryPikeCountydialect;andfourmodifiedvarietiesofthislast.Theshadingshavenotbeendoneinahaphazardfashion,orbyguesswork;butpainstakingly,andwiththetrustworthyguidanceandsupportofpersonalfamiliaritywiththeseseveralformsofspeech.,MarkTwainusesdifferentdialectformsfordifferentcharacterswiththefollowingfeatures.1.Anglo-Saxonwords2.shortandsimplesentencestructures3.repetitionofmanywordsandconnectives4.ungrammaticaldialect,Buttherewarntnoanswer,andnobodycomeoutofthewigwam.Jimwasgone!Isetupashoutandthenanotherandthenanotherone;andrunthiswayandtha