American Realism and Naturalism Summary PDF

American Realism and Naturalism HEEEEEJ Romanticism o Emergence: Rose to prominence prior to the Civil War. o Key Tenets: o Celebrated the ability of human will to triumph over adversity (misery, misfortune, tragedy). o Focused on the triumph...

American Realism and Naturalism HEEEEEJ Romanticism o Emergence: Rose to prominence prior to the Civil War. o Key Tenets: o Celebrated the ability of human will to triumph over adversity (misery, misfortune, tragedy). o Focused on the triumph of the individual. o Emphasized the spiritual and emotional over the rational. o Valued nature and the individual's connection to it. o Individual perceived as a god. o Key Authors: o Ralph Waldo Emerson. o Walt Whitman. o Henry David Thoreau. o Emily Dickinson. o Literary Style: o Employed symbolism and allegory. o Explored the relationship between the body and soul, and the physical world and the spiritual. o Focused on personal experience and individual intuition. o Themes and Subjects: o Individualism. o Nature. o Spirituality. o Democracy, freedom, and revolution. o The relationship between the body and the soul. o Historical Context: o Arose during the 19th century alongside Transcendentalism. o Influenced by European Romanticism. o Reacted against rationalism and religious tradition. o Contrasted with the emerging realism and naturalism that followed. American Realism: o Emerged after the Civil War, in opposition to Romanticism. o Focused on depicting the everyday lives of ordinary people, often including regionalism and dialects. o Presented the limitation of free will by external forces.  o Important authors include Mark Twain, William Dean Howells, and Henry James. o Realists drew inspiration from European sources such as Balzac, Turgenev, and Flaubert. o William Dean Howells defined realism as "nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material". o Realism focused on specific social groups: factory workers (Upton Sinclair), African Americans (Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Charles Chestnutt), and women and marriage (Kate Chopin). Naturalism: o Believed that individuals have no control over their fate, with their lives determined by heredity and the environment. o Representatives: Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Theodore Dreiser. o Stephen Crane was a proto naturalist, writing about war in a naturalistic way. o Naturalism did not gain popularity in the US as it contradicted the myth of self-determination. o Norris, in "The Octopus," depicts the struggle of farmers against the power of the railroad. o Theodore Dreiser, in "Sister Carrie," portrays the pressures of city life. o Edith Wharton, in "The Age of Innocence," depicts the life of the upper classes. Muckrakers Were investigative journalists who exposed social and political problems. They were active mainly at the beginning of the 20th century. Their work contributed to social and political reforms. Jacob Riis photographed and described poverty in New York slums. Upton Sinclair, in "The Jungle," revealed the working conditions and standards in the meat industry. Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman Emily Dickinson: o Wrote about death, immortality, love, suffering, faith, and nature. o Her poems are characterized by short lines, a lack of titles, unconventional punctuation, and slant rhymes. o Many of her works were published posthumously.  o Her poetry contains elements of Romanticism but was ahead of her time. o Her work is divided into three periods: pre-1861 (conventional poems), 1861-1865 (most creative), and post-1866. o Due to her withdrawal from social life, her contacts were maintained mainly through letters. Walt Whitman: o Considered the father of free verse. o Combined transcendentalism and realism. o Believed that American literature should draw on its own experiences, not on Europe. o His collection of poetry "Leaves of Grass" was controversial due to its sexual themes. o He believed everything is a good topic for poetry and that it should not be limited by form. o His work reflects American values: democracy, freedom, and revolution. Mark Twain and Henry James Mark Twain: o Came from a plebeian background. o Drew inspiration from American folklore and colloquial speech. o He was an observer of the emerging American culture. o His works often present American ignorance, but with sympathy for the differences. o In "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," he addresses the issue of racial prejudice. Henry James: o Came from an aristocratic background. o Inspired by European literary tradition. o His work focuses on the clash of American and European cultures. o He introduced a narrator who is not omniscient to American literature. Ernest Hemingway and the "Lost Generation" "Lost Generation": o The term refers to the generation that came of age during World War I. o Characterized by a loss of faith in pre-war values and ideals, and disillusionment. o Artists of this period met at Gertrude Stein's house. o Representatives: F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Eliot, Erich Maria Remarque. Ernest Hemingway:  o His style is characterized by economy, understatement, and a focus on dialogue and action. o His style was shaped by his war experiences. o He believed language was devalued by war. o He introduced the iceberg theory - most of the meaning of a work is found outside the text. o His characters are often taciturn. o He used simple language, avoiding abstract words. Additional Notes: Pay attention to the historical and social context of the discussed eras, as they had a great impact on the authors' works. Remember the differences between realism and naturalism, especially their approach to the free will of the individual. When analyzing works, pay attention to the literary techniques used by the authors, such as Hemingway's style (iceberg theory) or Dickinson's unusual punctuation. I hope this summary will be helpful for you. Good luck with your exam! - Thanks