THE PERIOD OF REALISM AND NATURALISM (1870-1910)
INTRO
Realism focused on the actual reality of life, as opposed to the imagined. Naturalism was a branch of Realism that was much more pessimistic and viewed fate, nature, and heredity as the ultimate forces at work. Each of these movements were stemmed by the Civil War. Due to the harsh reality of life in America at the time, people realized that mankind was not all that kind. Authors during this time each had different views on the enemy, but in the end were all affected by the war.
Ambrose Bierce’s story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” portrays a man named Peyton who is being executed during the Civil War. Peyton believes that the soldiers who are holding him are his enemy, while the soldiers believe the opposite. Before his execution, Peyton acquires a heightened emotion that allowed Bierce to paint a picture of what went on in the character's mind before his death. This heightened emotion exemplifies realism, as Bierce is very factual throughout the story, even provides vivid details of the corpse. Fate was not on Peyton’s side, as he ended up dying anyway at the story’s close.
Similarly, the lieutenant in Stephen Crane’s story, “An Episode of War,” does not fare much better than Peyton. Crane tells the tale of a man’s struggle against fate. Said lieutenant thought that he was safe, but in reality fate allowed him to be shot anyway. Due to the devastation of war, the lieutenant is so riddled by war that his wound barely phases him. Crane’s story is full of natural elements such as nature harming man, the ambulance getting stuck in mud, the lieutenant’s lack of pain after being shot, and the obvious work of fate against the lieutenant.
The Civil War also affected the speech of Abraham Lincoln to those at Gettysburg. Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” shocked most that heard it. Being the second speaker of the day, he opted to make his address short and to the point. With little more than two hundred words, Lincoln conveyed the impact of the war with extreme patriotism. Lincoln’s address would be considered realistic due to the use of facts about the war. He said, “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war.” He viewed the war as the enemy, not fate, for he believed that fate would allow America to overcome the war.
Each author had different views on how to portray the enemy during the time of the Civil War. Bierce saw it as death, Crane portrayed it as fate, and Lincoln thought it was the war itself. Yet, each embodies characteristics of Realism and Naturalism, as their works were inspired by hardships.
Ambrose Bierce’s story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” portrays a man named Peyton who is being executed during the Civil War. Peyton believes that the soldiers who are holding him are his enemy, while the soldiers believe the opposite. Before his execution, Peyton acquires a heightened emotion that allowed Bierce to paint a picture of what went on in the character's mind before his death. This heightened emotion exemplifies realism, as Bierce is very factual throughout the story, even provides vivid details of the corpse. Fate was not on Peyton’s side, as he ended up dying anyway at the story’s close.
Similarly, the lieutenant in Stephen Crane’s story, “An Episode of War,” does not fare much better than Peyton. Crane tells the tale of a man’s struggle against fate. Said lieutenant thought that he was safe, but in reality fate allowed him to be shot anyway. Due to the devastation of war, the lieutenant is so riddled by war that his wound barely phases him. Crane’s story is full of natural elements such as nature harming man, the ambulance getting stuck in mud, the lieutenant’s lack of pain after being shot, and the obvious work of fate against the lieutenant.
The Civil War also affected the speech of Abraham Lincoln to those at Gettysburg. Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” shocked most that heard it. Being the second speaker of the day, he opted to make his address short and to the point. With little more than two hundred words, Lincoln conveyed the impact of the war with extreme patriotism. Lincoln’s address would be considered realistic due to the use of facts about the war. He said, “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war.” He viewed the war as the enemy, not fate, for he believed that fate would allow America to overcome the war.
Each author had different views on how to portray the enemy during the time of the Civil War. Bierce saw it as death, Crane portrayed it as fate, and Lincoln thought it was the war itself. Yet, each embodies characteristics of Realism and Naturalism, as their works were inspired by hardships.
MARK TWAIN
Mark Twain is one of the most influential American authors in history. He created stories that have been praised during his lifetime and many years to follow. Even Ernest Hemingway said that “all modern American literature begins” with Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Not only is Twain a brilliant author, but also an symbol of Realism.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, the given name of Mark Twain, was born in 1835. He was raised in the small river town of Hannibal, Missouri. Like many of the youth in Hannibal, young Samuel aspired to be a steamboat pilot. In fact, Twain met many of the characters he would use in his later works as a young boy. For example, we learn of the steamboat men that inspired young Twain in his story Life on the Mississippi. Yet, in 1847, Mark was faced with the death of his father at age eleven and left school to become a printer’s apprentice. Not long after that, Clemens, age twenty-one, decided he wanted to achieve his dream of becoming a steamboat pilot. He worked as a steamboat pilot from the 1850s until 1861, when the Mississippi River was closed due to the Civil War.
Under the name Mark Twain, Samuel became a reporter for a Virginia City newspaper in 1862. He would write humor for the newspaper with the famous byline, which actually is derived from steamboat jargon. In fact, Mark Twain is a river man’s call that means “two fathoms deep.” After years of writing, in 1865, Twain published a short story that signified his different, humorous style. The story that set him apart was “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Twain drew his humor from his disliking of technology, political figures, and real-life dialects.
He wrote in a way that accurately portrayed ordinary people, yet came across as comical. Two of his most famous novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, were unlike any novels the world had read. In these novels, Twain wrote about American themes, when many of his peers were attempting to live up to European novelists. Characters like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn were poor, plain-spoken heroes whose life choices were as dramatic as any European characters. Other popular works of his include: The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889), Pudd’nhead Wilson (1894), and The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg (1900).
Americans fell in love with Mark Twain’s humorous style. He was a very popular author who faired well from his work. Later in life, Twain settled down with his family in Hartford, Connecticut. Surprisingly enough, his mansion was decorated to resemble the interior of a steamboat. His wife and daughters passed away in the late 1800s, leaving him bitter and cynical. These tragic events turned Mark into a recluse of sorts and the newspapers reported him dead. Twain immediately wired the editors: “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
Yet, the impact of Mark Twain cannot be overstated. His numerous works impacted the nation and gave a voice to American themes. He was the first, and possibly the greatest, authentically American writer.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, the given name of Mark Twain, was born in 1835. He was raised in the small river town of Hannibal, Missouri. Like many of the youth in Hannibal, young Samuel aspired to be a steamboat pilot. In fact, Twain met many of the characters he would use in his later works as a young boy. For example, we learn of the steamboat men that inspired young Twain in his story Life on the Mississippi. Yet, in 1847, Mark was faced with the death of his father at age eleven and left school to become a printer’s apprentice. Not long after that, Clemens, age twenty-one, decided he wanted to achieve his dream of becoming a steamboat pilot. He worked as a steamboat pilot from the 1850s until 1861, when the Mississippi River was closed due to the Civil War.
Under the name Mark Twain, Samuel became a reporter for a Virginia City newspaper in 1862. He would write humor for the newspaper with the famous byline, which actually is derived from steamboat jargon. In fact, Mark Twain is a river man’s call that means “two fathoms deep.” After years of writing, in 1865, Twain published a short story that signified his different, humorous style. The story that set him apart was “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Twain drew his humor from his disliking of technology, political figures, and real-life dialects.
He wrote in a way that accurately portrayed ordinary people, yet came across as comical. Two of his most famous novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, were unlike any novels the world had read. In these novels, Twain wrote about American themes, when many of his peers were attempting to live up to European novelists. Characters like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn were poor, plain-spoken heroes whose life choices were as dramatic as any European characters. Other popular works of his include: The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889), Pudd’nhead Wilson (1894), and The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg (1900).
Americans fell in love with Mark Twain’s humorous style. He was a very popular author who faired well from his work. Later in life, Twain settled down with his family in Hartford, Connecticut. Surprisingly enough, his mansion was decorated to resemble the interior of a steamboat. His wife and daughters passed away in the late 1800s, leaving him bitter and cynical. These tragic events turned Mark into a recluse of sorts and the newspapers reported him dead. Twain immediately wired the editors: “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
Yet, the impact of Mark Twain cannot be overstated. His numerous works impacted the nation and gave a voice to American themes. He was the first, and possibly the greatest, authentically American writer.
KEY AUTHORS
Ambrose Bierce - "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"
Mary Chesnut - "Civil War"
Warren Lee Goss - "Recollections of a Private"
Randolph McKim - "A Confederate Account of the Battle of Gettysburg"
Stephen Crane - "An Episode of War"
Fredrick Douglass - My Bondage and My Freedom
Abraham Lincoln - "The Gettysburg Address"
Robert E. Lee - "Letter to His Son"
Sojourner Truth - An Account of an Experience With Discrimination
Mark Twain - Life on the Mississippi and "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"
Bill Bryson - "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid"
Jack London - "To Build A Fire"
Miriam Davis Colt - "Heading West"
Chief Joseph - "I Will Fight No More Forever"
Kate Chopin - "The Story of an Hour"
Paul Laurence Dunbar - "Douglass" and "We Wear the Mask"
Edwin Arlington Robinson - "Luke Havergal" and "Richard Cory"
Edgar Lee Masters - "Lucinda Matlock" and "Richard Bone"
Willa Cather - "A Wagner Matinée"
Mary Chesnut - "Civil War"
Warren Lee Goss - "Recollections of a Private"
Randolph McKim - "A Confederate Account of the Battle of Gettysburg"
Stephen Crane - "An Episode of War"
Fredrick Douglass - My Bondage and My Freedom
Abraham Lincoln - "The Gettysburg Address"
Robert E. Lee - "Letter to His Son"
Sojourner Truth - An Account of an Experience With Discrimination
Mark Twain - Life on the Mississippi and "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"
Bill Bryson - "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid"
Jack London - "To Build A Fire"
Miriam Davis Colt - "Heading West"
Chief Joseph - "I Will Fight No More Forever"
Kate Chopin - "The Story of an Hour"
Paul Laurence Dunbar - "Douglass" and "We Wear the Mask"
Edwin Arlington Robinson - "Luke Havergal" and "Richard Cory"
Edgar Lee Masters - "Lucinda Matlock" and "Richard Bone"
Willa Cather - "A Wagner Matinée"
TIMELINE
LITERARY THEMES
The main focus of this unit was the stressing of reality due to the effects of the Civil War. People were paralyzed, in a sense, from war. Realist writers stressed the reality of life and Naturalist writers were inspired by the hardships of war, the frontier, and urbanization. With many people believing that nature and/or fate was against them, they related to the elements of Realism and Naturalism works. The stories were also relatable because the subject matter was drawn from real life. This is why people felt connected to the works of Bierce, Crane, and Lincoln.
CRASH COURSE: CIVIL WAR PT.1 - VIDEO
CRASH COURSE: CIVIL WAR PT.2 - VIDEO
Information gathered from: Wiggins, Grant P. Prentice Hall Literature. Common Core ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2012. eBook.