Chapter 7

The Era of Realism and Naturalism

from An Outline of American Literature by

Peter B. High

Moving toward Realism in Literature

by 1875
influence of French Realism (p.83)

changed the relationship between literature and

society
novel had the power to become a political weapon
In literature, realism gives us a picture of life as it
really is. Story of realism deal with everyday
problems that most people encounter. Sometimes
the characters overcome their problems; other
times, they dont.

William Dean Howell

(1837-1920)

created the first theory for

American realism (p.85)
Realism became a weapon
against literary romanticism
Realism became the mainstream
of American literature
The Rise of Silas Lapham (1885)

William Dean Howell

(1837-1920)

The novelists might be the greatest possible help

to us if they painted life as it is, and human feelings
in their true proportion and relation.
Novels should make you think . . . and shame you
into wishing to be a more helpful creature than you
are.
Novels should depict business and businessmen
Good realists should be interested in the common
feelings or commonplace people.

William Dean Howell

(1837-1920)
A Hazard of New Fortunes (1890)

became a kind of socialist,

attacking the evils of American
capitalism, its selfish
competition

art and the artist must serve the

poor people of society

Naturalism
a term created by the French novelist,
Emile Zola (p.87)

used discoveries and knowledge of modern

science to study human life
people were not really free; rather, their lives,
opinions and morality were all controlled by
social, economic and psychological causes

Stephen Crane (18711990)

wrote Maggie: A Girl of the

Street (1893) at the age of 22
characters are controlled by
their environment (p.88)
The Red Badge of Courage
(1895), his greatest novel
what you become is merely a
matter of chance, or fate
The Open Boat (1898)

Hamlin Garland (1860-1940)

had deep sympathy for the common people (p.90)

his literature was a form of social protest
Main-Traveled Roads (1891)
life is determined by outside conditions and wrote to help
improve those conditions
described people, places and events in a careful and factual
manner
impressionistic way of describing, mixes emotions, colors,
and sights
a message behind these description the failure of the
American Dream
the forces of American capitalism had destroyed the
individuals freedom

Ambrose Bierce
(1824-1914)

loved to describe the

terrifying events and
strange forms of death
skillful control of detail
gives us a clear impression
of the ironic fate waiting
for a character
An Occurrence at Owl
Creek Bridge

Henry James (1843-1916)

an observer of the mind, psychological realism (p.91)

stream of consciousness the workings of the mind

things happen to the character but not as a result of their

own actions

watch life more than live it

What do they see? How do they try to understand it?

The changing consciousness of the character is the real story

interested in how characters respond to the events of the

story

events inside ones head can be dramatic

Henry James (1843-1916)

Early Works

deal with his thoughts and feelings as an

American living in Europe

spent most of his time in England

Roderick Hudson (1876), The American

(1877), Daisy Miller (1879), The Portrait
of a Lady (1881)

contrasts American innocence with

European experience

drama is created by the mind

Henry James (1843-1916)

Mature Period

characters talked about the different aspects

and possibilities of the situations they are
in

drama comes from changing the way of

looking at the world to another

The Princess Casamassima (1886), The

Ambassadors (1903)

Henry James (1843-1916)

theme 1: a study of single situation or problem

studies one problem, the nature of art, from
various points of view
The Real Thing (1893), the problem is how
art changes reality
The Death of the Lion (1894)
theme 2: unlived life
the hero so afraid of life that cant really live
The Beast in the Jungle (1903)

Henry James (1843-1916)

theme 3: introducing children to the evil and

immorality

What Maisie Knew (1897), The Turn of the

Screw (1898)
theme4: being an American was a great problem

It is a complex fate, being an American.

Americans are always being tested by European

civilization and vice versa.

the new possibilities of American civilization