English 11 Unit 3 American Regionalism, Realism, and Naturalism

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English 11 Unit 3 American Regionalism, Realism,
and Naturalism

• 1860-1920

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Historical Context

• The post-Civil War period
• America was reunited and transformed
• Writers worked to define Americas differing
  regions and come to terms with some harsh new
  realities
• Romantic notions seem silly after a great war

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Aftermath of The Civil War

• The South was in ruins after The Civil War
• Slavery was abolished, but freed African
  Americans lacked money, property, education, and
  opportunity
• Many farms, factories, and plantations were
  destroyed
• The government came up with a plan, known as
  reconstruction, to solve these problems

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Reconstructions Failures and Successes

• Reconstruction efforts did not go smoothly
• The President and Congress clashed
• Southern states resisted African Americans new
  rights
• African Americans felt not enough was being done
• Few Successes
• African Americans gained citizenship, protection
  under the law, and the right to vote
• Confederate states returned to the Union
• States were glad to be reunited but missed their
  regional identities (rise of regionalism)

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Post-Civil War Changes

• Transcontinental Railroad
• Many people traveling West
• Westward expansion seen in local color writing
  (Twain)
• Railroad expanded industry
• Cities grew dramatically, but most money was in
  the hands of only a few
• Photos Building the transcontinental railroad

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The Gilded Age

• After The Civil War, there was a time of excess
  and wealth for a large portion of Americans.
• Mark Twain referred to this period as the gilded
  age.
• Inventions
• Telephone
• Model-T Ford
• Light bulb (and hundreds of others Edison)

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The Have-Nots

• While this period was great for some, it was not
  for others.
• Native Americans and African Americans had a very
  hard time
• Reconstructions failures
• Segregationist Jim Crow laws
• Many immigrants came to America hoping for a
  better life, and found themselves working long
  hours in sweat shops
• Creation of labor unions
• Many people felt held back by forces beyond their
  control
• Led to rise of naturalism

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What is Realism?

• A faithful representation of reality in
  literature
• Emphasis on development of believable characters.
• Written in natural vernacular, or dialect.
• Prominent from 1860-1890.

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Realist Writers

• Mark Twain
• William Dean Howells
• Henry James
• Edgar Lee Masters

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Why did Realism develop?

• The Civil War
• The urbanization and industrialization of America
• As a reaction to Romanticism
• Increasing rates of democracy and literacy
• The emerging middle class
• Upheaval and social change in the latter half of
  the 19th century

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What is Regionalism?

• Often called local color.
• Focuses on characters, dialect, customs,
  topography, and other features specific to a
  certain region (eg. the South)
• Writers wanted to capture these things to
  preserve regional identities
• Coincided with Realism and sharing many of the
  same traits.
• Prominent from 1865-1895.

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Regionalist Writers

• Kate ChopinSouth
• Charlotte Perkins GilmanNew England
• Mark TwainWest
• Willa CatherMidwest

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Why did Regionalism develop?

• Dual influence of Romanticism and Realism
• The Civil War and the building of a national
  identity
• An outgrowth of realism with more focus on a
  particular setting and its influence over
  characters

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What is Naturalism?

• Applied scientific principles of objectivity and
  detachment to the study of human beings.
• Influenced by Darwinism (natural selection) and
  psychology (Freud)
• Posited that men were governed by heredity and
  environment.
• Often victims of their circumstances
• Often depict man in conflict with nature,
  society, or himself.
• Prominent from 1880-1920(ish)

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Naturalist Writers

• Stephen Crane
• Jack London
• Edith Wharton

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Why did Naturalism develop?

• The swell of immigrants in the latter half of the
  19th century, which led to a larger lower class
  and increased poverty in the cities (urban
  movement)
• The prominence of psychology and the theories of
  Sigmund Freud
• Pessimism in the wake of the Civil War and
  Reconstruction
• Publication of Charles Darwins Origin of the
  Species

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Points to Remember

• Realism, Regionalism, and Naturalism are
  intertwined and connected.
• Their influence has dominated most literature
  created since 1920, though the movement itself is
  dated to roughly that point.
• They are truly American modes of writing.