Historical Background :
Historical Background Civil War dashed Romantic hopes and sentimentality
Nation was changing
Memories of the war were fading
Frontier was closing
Railroads connected the nation
Science & industry were making leaping advancements
Background, Cont’d :
Background, Cont’d Nation was becoming grounded in the faithful reporting of all facets of everyday life
Growth of investigative journalism
Rise of muckraking
Journalism that exposed scandals in big business and government
Fascination with the camera
Realism :
Realism Realism Realism Regionalism Naturalism
Realism :
Realism Accurately portrays life without filtering it
Characters appear in the real complexity of temperament and motive
Vernacular diction
Relies on insight and observation
Close, observant detail
Sought to explain why people behaved the way they did
Relations between people and society are explored
Regionalism :
Regionalism Captures the essence of life in different regions
“local color” writing
Uses regional dialect and vivid descriptions
Can be sentimental about characters and social environment
Naturalism :
Naturalism Human behavior is determined by heredity and environment
Tended to be pessimistic
Humans are subject to natural forces beyond our control
Dissected behavior with detached objectivity
Realists vs. Romantics :
Realists vs. Romantics
Unit Preview :
Unit Preview “A Pair of Silk Stockings”
Short story by Kate Chopin
“The Outcasts of Poker Flat”
Short story by Bret Harte
“To Build A Fire”
Short story by Jack London
“The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
Short story by Ambrose Bierce