Realism Review

Editor of "the Atlantic Monthly"- very influential to many writers of the realism period.

American-born British writer- a key person in the realism literary movement.

American novelist who published "The Country of the Pointed Firs"- a story about life in a Maine seaport. (regionalist)

Author of "O Pioneers!" Wrote a lot about life on the frontier during her career (regionalist!).

humor by contrast and contradiction

The speaker means the opposite of what he says. (ex: "The Private History of A Campaign That Failed")

A discrepancy exists between what is expected and what actually happens. (ex: "Desiree's Baby)

The audience (or reader) is aware of the developments about which the speaker (or character) knows nothing. (ex: "The Private History of a Campaign That Failed"- we know that the war is going to end, but at this time, Mark Twain and his fellow soldiers do not know what is going to happen and "Desiree's Baby")

to be open to more than one interpretation (ex: the ending of a mystery of heroism)

Who is telling the story. This can be first person, second person, third person (limited and omniscient).

Speaker VS Narrator

A fourteen line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter- verse with five feet per line, each foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. It is usually used to express a complete idea or a theme. (ex: "We Wear the Mask" and "Douglass")

The development of a character defined through what they say, what others say about them, and what they themselves do. (ex: "Desiree's Baby"- Armand)

Incongruity of character and circumstance, with its end aim to stimulate laughter. It cushions the blow of a serious situation or idea, facilitates communication, and incites laughter, which enhances respiration and circulation; stimulates adrenaline, increasing one's alertness; acts as a pain reliever and/or induces a natural euphoria.

An exaggerated form of comedy, full of ludicrous incidents and expressions, and imitation. If often comes from a ridiculous treatment of a serious of a serious subject or vice versa; its aim is to amuse. (ex: "Papers of the Adam Family")

Combines criticism with humor to point out a weakness or flaw in an individual, group, or society. It aims to inspire a rebuilding or improvement, not just destruction and debilitation- by arousing a reader's contempt for that which is not right. (ex: "A Mystery of Heroism")

A statement that represents something better or worse than it actually is. (ex: "A Mystery of Heroism")

When something is presented as smaller/less important as it actually is. (ex: "To Build a Fire")

the presentation of the details of actual life, stressing the actual life, stressing the actual, writing truthfully and objectively about characters in ordinary situations... it grew out of regionalism as a reaction against romanticism

Writing about specific geographical areas to present a distinct culture including speech, customs, beliefs, and history. Similar to "local color" but usually goes beyond the mere presentation of cultural idiosyncrasies (unique characteristics) and attempt, instead, to offer a sophisticated sociological treatment of a region.

- Grew out of the realistic movement - attempted to examine people and society objectively, and like scientists, draw conclusions from its observations.

what did naturalistic writers believe?

Naturalists believe that destinies are decided by:

adventured on sea and ice

turned out nearly fifty volumes of essays and fiction

a passionate socialist

remembered today not for his political convictions, but for his exciting, fast paced, adventure stories

born into a large family from san francisco and was largely uncared for

delivered newspapers, worked on an ice wagon, set up pins in a bowling alley, worked in a cannery

Was a sailor in his teens

Attended High School for one year, then crammed for his entrance exam for the University of CA at Berkeley- he got in, but quit halfway through his freshman year.

prospected for gold in the Klondike

his short stories and novels dramatize his belief that "civilized" beings are either destroyed or re-created in savage environments

lost interest when his "Wolf House" burned down

died from being an alcoholic, having kidney disease and depression, and finally took a lethal dose of narcotics and lapsed into a coma

author of "To Build a Fire"

"To Build a Fire" Summary

how is "To Build a Fire" realistic?

how is "To Build a Fire" regionalistic?

how is "To Build a Fire" naturalistic?

yearned to become a baseball star and was even captain of the team at Syracuse

youngest of 14 of a Methodist Minister

worked for his brother's news agency, then struggled to make a living as a reporter in NYC

got his "artistic education" on Skid Row- it kept him hungry and ill

a pioneer of naturalism for his first novel, "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets"

self published his first book with a borrowed 700 dollars from friends

used impressionism in "The Red Badge of Courage"

a national expert on war

interwove fiction and real life experiences in his work

shipwrecked on the Florida coast during a journalism expedition, stranded for thirty hours against the harsh sea

had relations with Cora Taylor, the first female war correspondent, and they moved to England after covering war in Greece.

died from his delicate health and tuberculosis

author of "War is Kind"

author of "The Red Badge of Courage"

wrote "A Mystery of Heroism"

Summary of "A Mystery of Heroism"

how is "A Mystery of Heroism" realistic?

how is "A Mystery of Heroism" regionalistic?

how is "A Mystery of Heroism" naturalism?

known for her particularly purple novel "The Awakening"

had 6 children and a husband who died of swamp fever (malaria)

wrote stories for magazines such as Vogue and the Atlantic Monthly

from St. Louis

Banished from her own Fine Arts Club

received guests while soaking in her bath puffing on Cuban cigars throughout such SUDSY social calls (she had suitors)

first got published by making connections

Focused much of her writing on the creoles

Creoles

wrote "Desiree's Baby"

Summary of "Desiree's Baby"

how is "Desiree's Baby" realistic?

how is "Desiree's Baby" regionalistic?

how is "Desiree's Baby" naturalistic?

wrote humorous tales that captured the local color of the West

transformed his childhood observations and experiences into classic American novels

best example of a regionalist

pursued a career as a riverboat pilot until the Civil War shut down the Mississippi

participated in the Civil War, then supported himself as a journalist and lecturer

in his later years, he was unable to reproduce the balance between pessimism and humor that he had captured in previous works

wrote "The Private History of a Campaign That Failed"

summary of "The Private History of a Campaign That Failed"

how is "The Private History of a Campaign That Failed" realistic?

how is "The Private History of a Campaign That Failed" regionalistic?

how is "The Private History of a Campaign That Failed" naturalistic?

the first African American to support himself entirely on his writing

wrote poems both in a formal elegant style and in black dialect

served as president of the literary society and was his class poet/editor of the school newspaper

elevator operator

fiction focused mostly on daily life in the lost world of the southern plantation

died of tuberculosis

was disillusioned by critics who only focused on his black dialect poetry

discovered by frederick douglass

wrote "We Wear the Mask"

Speaker of "We Wear the Mask"

Subject of "We Wear the Mask"

Tone of "We Wear the Mask"

Theme of "We Wear the Mask"

What kind of Sonnet is "Douglass"

Speaker of "Douglass"

Subject of "Douglass"

tone of "Douglass"

theme of "Douglass"

bridged the gap between two literary eras

set much of his work in Tilbury Town

attended Harvard for two years until his family's financial issues got in the way.

President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him to work at a post in the New York Custom House

best of his poems focus on people's inner struggles

won the pulitzer prize three times

despite their pessimistic look, his poems always possess a certain dignity, resulting from his traditional style.

wrote "Richard Corey"

wrote "Miniver Cheevy"

Speaker of "Richard Corey"

Subject of "Richard Corey"

tone of "Richard Corey"

theme of "Richard Corey"

How are "Richard Corey" and "Miniver Cheevy" naturalistic

how is "Mask" realistic

how is "douglass" realistic?

example of Verbal Irony

Example of situational irony

Example of dramatic irony

example of ambiguity

example of Farce

wrote "Papers of the Adam Family"

example of satire

example of exaggeration

example of understatement