Literature of the Gilded AgeLiterature of the Gilded Age1865 - 19121865 - 1912

►Realism & NaturalismRealism & Naturalism

►Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce

►Stephen CraneStephen Crane

RealismRealism

►Reaction to RomanticismReaction to Romanticism►Tied to social reformTied to social reform►Emphasis on everyday experienceEmphasis on everyday experience►Everyday people – common manEveryday people – common man►Character over plotCharacter over plot

RealistsRealists

►Mark TwainMark Twain

►Henry JamesHenry James

►Willam Dean HowellsWillam Dean Howells The Rise of Silas LaphamThe Rise of Silas Lapham CriticCritic Leading proponent of realismLeading proponent of realism

William Dean HowellsWilliam Dean Howells

Literature should be Literature should be "simple, natural, "simple, natural, and honest" and honest"

"Our novelists, therefore, concern "Our novelists, therefore, concern themselves with the more smiling themselves with the more smiling aspects of life, which are the more aspects of life, which are the more American, and seek the universal in the American, and seek the universal in the individual rather than the social individual rather than the social interests." interests."

NaturalismNaturalism

►A branch of realismA branch of realism►DeterminismDeterminism►Values come from desiresValues come from desires►Character’s behavior controlled by Character’s behavior controlled by

EnvironmentEnvironment HeredityHeredity Inner desiresInner desires Outer forcesOuter forces

NaturalismNaturalism

►Frank NorrisFrank Norris McTeagueMcTeague

►Dentist’s social descent—driven by animal Dentist’s social descent—driven by animal greed—ends in Death Valleygreed—ends in Death Valley

►Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce Cynicism about human natureCynicism about human nature

►Stephen CraneStephen Crane► Jack LondonJack London

””Episode of War”Episode of War”

He bound his handkerchief over the He bound his handkerchief over the wound, scolding away in the wound, scolding away in the meantime. His tone allowed one to meantime. His tone allowed one to think that he was in the habit of being think that he was in the habit of being wounded every day. The lieutenant wounded every day. The lieutenant hung his head, feeling, in this hung his head, feeling, in this presence, that he did not know how to presence, that he did not know how to be correctly wounded. be correctly wounded.

Red Badge of CourageRed Badge of Courage

As he listened to the din from the As he listened to the din from the hillside, to a deep pulsating thunder that hillside, to a deep pulsating thunder that came from afar to the left, and to the lesser came from afar to the left, and to the lesser clamors which came from many directions, clamors which came from many directions, it occurred to him that they were fighting, it occurred to him that they were fighting, too, over there, and over there, and over too, over there, and over there, and over there. Heretofore he had supposed that all there. Heretofore he had supposed that all the battle was directly under his nose. the battle was directly under his nose.

Red Badge of CourageRed Badge of Courage

As he gazed around him the youth felt a As he gazed around him the youth felt a flash of astonishment at the blue, pure flash of astonishment at the blue, pure sky and the sun gleamings on the trees sky and the sun gleamings on the trees and fields. It was surprising that Nature and fields. It was surprising that Nature had gone tranquilly on with her golden had gone tranquilly on with her golden process in the midst of so much process in the midst of so much devilment.devilment.

Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce

► Born in Indiana Born in Indiana 18411841

► Fought in Civil WarFought in Civil War►Moved to California Moved to California

after warafter war► JournalistJournalist►Divorced in 1905Divorced in 1905►Died 1914?Died 1914?

Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce

Most important worksMost important works►Civil War stories – Civil War stories – Of Soldiers & Of Soldiers &

CiviliansCivilians►Devil’s DictionaryDevil’s Dictionary

StyleStyle►CynicalCynical►Compared to Twain & PoeCompared to Twain & Poe

Devil’s DictionaryDevil’s Dictionary

►DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, n.n. A method of confirming others in their A method of confirming others in their

errors.errors.

►EULOGY, EULOGY, n.n. Praise of a person who has either the Praise of a person who has either the

advantages of wealth and power, or the advantages of wealth and power, or the consideration to be dead.consideration to be dead.

Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce

►ALONE, ALONE, adj.adj. In bad companyIn bad company

►BIGOT, BIGOT, n.n. One who is obstinately and zealously One who is obstinately and zealously

attached to an opinion that you do not attached to an opinion that you do not entertain.entertain.

►EGOTIST, EGOTIST, n.n. A person of low taste, more interested in A person of low taste, more interested in

himself than in me.himself than in me.

► IMMIGRANT, IMMIGRANT, n.n. An unenlightened person who thinks one An unenlightened person who thinks one

country better than anothercountry better than another

Stephen CraneStephen Crane

► Born New Jersey Born New Jersey 18711871

► College drop outCollege drop out► Freelance journalistFreelance journalist► Traveled in US Traveled in US

West, Cuba, Turkey, West, Cuba, Turkey, EuropeEurope

►Died in Germany Died in Germany 19001900

Stephen CraneStephen Crane

► RealismRealism►NaturalismNaturalism► Social reformSocial reform► PoetryPoetry

►Often called an Often called an early Hemingwayearly Hemingway

Crane - worksCrane - works

►Maggie of the StreetsMaggie of the Streets (1893) (1893)►Red Badge of CourageRed Badge of Courage (1895) (1895)

New standard in war literatureNew standard in war literature

►The Black Riders (1895) (poems)The Black Riders (1895) (poems)►””The Open Boat” (1898)The Open Boat” (1898)►War Is Kind (1899) (poems)War Is Kind (1899) (poems)

PoetryPoetry

A man said to the universe: A man said to the universe:

"Sir I exist!" "Sir I exist!"

"However," replied the universe, "However," replied the universe,

"The fact has not created in me "The fact has not created in me

A sense of obligation." A sense of obligation."

””Bride Comes to Yellow Sky”Bride Comes to Yellow Sky”

Look for…Look for…

►NaturalismNaturalism►HistoryHistory►What does it remind you of?What does it remind you of?►What motivates behavior?What motivates behavior?►Reactions to new situations?Reactions to new situations?

Jack LondonJack London

► Born in SF (1876)Born in SF (1876)► worked many jobs worked many jobs

(fisherman, sailor, (fisherman, sailor, laborer, gold hunter)laborer, gold hunter)

► Prolific writerProlific writer► SocialistSocialist► IndividualistIndividualist► Died in Oakland Died in Oakland

(1916)(1916)

Jack LondonJack London

► Embodies Embodies contradictions of contradictions of eraera

► Associated w/ Associated w/ Alaska & PacificAlaska & Pacific

► Call of the WildCall of the Wild► Sea WolfSea Wolf

Next WeekNext Week

►RegionalismRegionalism

►Horatio AlgerHoratio Alger

►Rags-to-RichesRags-to-Riches

►Read ”Uncle Remus” stories & E. A. Read ”Uncle Remus” stories & E. A. Robinson poemsRobinson poems