English I – Mrs. Jeffries

American Literature: Realism1865- ~1914

American Literature

Origin mythsNarratives (chronicles)of American

ExperienceReligious writings that display Puritan values

_________________PamphletsBrochuresPolitical pieces

__________________Short storiesPoetryesssays

The Colonial Period Beginnings- 1750

Native American Lit. European Lit. Puritan Lit.

The Revolutionary Period (The Age of Reason /The Enlightenment)

1750-1800 The Romantic Period 1800-1860 Romantic Literature Gothic Lit Transcendental Lit

Realism 1865- 1914

Romanticism“Anything is possible”

REALISM

“Tell it like it is”

Reaction to Romanticism with its . . .

Heroic characters

Strange, unfamiliar settings

REALISM is …

Truthful Objective

Describes . . .

Ordinary people

Ordinary Situations

RealismLiterary period in which writers focused on the faithful representation of reality.

Realism in ArtRealism is the art style most people

regard as "real art", where the subject of the painting looks very much like it appears in real life. From a little distance everything looks "real" but up close you'll see it's an illusion created by skillful use of paint, of color and tone. The artist uses perspective to create an illusion of reality, setting the composition and lighting to make the most of the subject.

Realism in America …Post Civil War (1861-1865)Rapid growth in

LiteracyIndustrializationUrbanization

Expanding population due to immigration

Rise in Middle Class

Characteristics of REALISMRelations between people and society are

exploredPurpose of writing was to instruct and

entertainLanguage is not heightened or poeticNo allegory or symbolism everything was

clearly communicatedDepended on the use of imagesObjectivity in the presentation is

important

Literary Elements Plot

Drew on the grim realities of everyday life The middle class and

the urban poorComplex ethical

choicesEvents are plausible

Avoided sensational or dramatic elements

Setting Close to realityComprehensive detail

CharactersMore important than

action or plotHave an important

ethical decision to make

Class is important Usually middle class or

poorCharacters spoke in

regional dialect and/or diction

ToneComic, satiric or

matter-of-fact

Realism in ArtFind a piece of

realism in art from the literary period of Realism (1865-1914).

Find a piece of realism in art from today.