Literature of realism and the Adventures of huckleberry Finn Shandong University, April 13, 2012
Literature of Realism and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Shandong University, April 13, 2012
Defnition Broadly defined as"the faithful representation of reality"or verisimilitude, realism is a literary technique practiced by many schools of writing Although strictly speaking realism is a technique, it also denotes a particular kind of subject matter, especially the representation of middle-class life. a reaction against romanticism an interest in scientific method, the systematizing of the study of documentary history, and the influence of rational philosophy all affected the rise of realism According to William Harmon and Hugh Holman,Where romanticists transcend the immediate to find the ideal, and naturalists plumb the actual or superficial to find the scientific laws that control its actions realists center their attention to a remarkable degree on the immediate the here and now the specific action and the verifiable consequence"(A Handbook to Literature 428)
Defnition ◼ Broadly defined as "the faithful representation of reality" or "verisimilitude," realism is a literary technique practiced by many schools of writing. ◼ Although strictly speaking, realism is a technique, it also denotes a particular kind of subject matter, especially the representation of middle-class life. A reaction against romanticism, an interest in scientific method, the systematizing of the study of documentary history, and the influence of rational philosophy all affected the rise of realism. ◼ According to William Harmon and Hugh Holman, "Where romanticists transcend the immediate to find the ideal, and naturalists plumb the actual or superficial to find the scientific laws that control its actions, realists center their attention to a remarkable degree on the immediate, the here and now, the specific action, and the verifiable consequence" (A Handbook to Literature 428)
American realism in literature American realism was an early 20th century idea in art music and literature that showed through these different types of work, reflections of the time period Whether it was a cultural portrayal, or a scenic view of downtown New York City, these images and works of literature, music and painting depicted a contemporary view of what was happening; an attempt at defining what was real. In america at the beginning of the 2oth century a new generation of painters, writers and journalists were coming of age
American Realism in Literature ◼ American realism was an early 20th century idea in art, music and literature that showed through these different types of work, reflections of the time period. Whether it was a cultural portrayal, or a scenic view of downtown New York City, these images and works of literature, music and painting depicted a contemporary view of what was happening; an attempt at defining what was real. In America at the beginning of the 20th century a new generation of painters, writers and journalists were coming of age
Time span In American literature, the term "realism"encompasses the period of time from the civil War to the turn of the century during which William Dean Howells, Rebecca Harding Davis Henry James, Mark Twain, and others wrote fiction devoted to accurate representation and an exploration of american lives in various contexts As the United States grew rapidly after the Civil War, the increasing rates of democracy and literacy, the rapid growth in industrialism and urbanization, an expanding population base due to immigration, and a relative rise in middle-class affluence provided a fertile literary environment for readers interested in understanding these rapid shifts in culture. In drawing attention to this connection, Amy Kaplan has called realism a" strategy for imagining and managing the threats of social change"( Social Construction of American Realism ix)
Time span ◼ In American literature, the term "realism" encompasses the period of time from the Civil War to the turn of the century during which William Dean Howells, Rebecca Harding Davis, Henry James, Mark Twain, and others wrote fiction devoted to accurate representation and an exploration of American lives in various contexts. ◼ As the United States grew rapidly after the Civil War, the increasing rates of democracy and literacy, the rapid growth in industrialism and urbanization, an expanding population base due to immigration, and a relative rise in middle-class affluence provided a fertile literary environment for readers interested in understanding these rapid shifts in culture. In drawing attention to this connection, Amy Kaplan has called realism a "strategy for imagining and managing the threats of social change" (Social Construction of American Realism ix)
Characteristics (from Richard Chase, The American Novel and Its Tradition Reality being rended closely and in comprehensive detail Selective presentation of reality with an emphasis on verisimilitude, even at the expense of a well-made plot Character as more important( than action and plot Complex ethical choices are often the subject Characters as appearing in their real complexity of temperament and motive: They are in explicable relation to nature, to each other, to their social class, to their own past Class as important issue: The novel has traditionally served the interests and aspirations of an insurgent middle class. accoring to lan Watt, The Rise of the Novel) Plausible events: Realistic novels avoid the sensational dramatic elements of naturalistic novels and romances
Characteristics (from Richard Chase, The American Novel and Its Tradition) Reality being rended closely and in comprehensive detail: Selective presentation of reality with an emphasis on verisimilitude, even at the expense of a well-made plot Character as more important (than action and plot): Complex ethical choices are often the subject. Characters as appearing in their real complexity of temperament and motive: They are in explicable relation to nature, to each other, to their social class, to their own past. Class as important issue: The novel has traditionally served the interests and aspirations of an insurgent middle class. ( accoring to Ian Watt, The Rise of the Novel) Plausible events: Realistic novels avoid the sensational, dramatic elements of naturalistic novels and romances
Characteristics(to be continuted Natural language: Diction is natural vernacular, not heightened or poetic; tone may be comiC, satiric, or matter-of-fact Objective representatin: Objectivity in presentation becomes increasingly important: overt authorial comments or intrusions diminish as the century progresses Interior or psychological realism is represented in a variant form a In Black and White Strangers, Kenneth Warren suggests that a basic difference between realism and sentimentalism is that in realism, "the redemption of the individual lay within the social world, but in sentimental fiction, "the redemption of the social world lay with the individua"(75-76)
Characteristics (to be continuted) Natural language: Diction is natural vernacular, not heightened or poetic; tone may be comic, satiric, or matter-of-fact. Objective representatin: Objectivity in presentation becomes increasingly important: overt authorial comments or intrusions diminish as the century progresses. Interior or psychological realism is represented in a variant form. ◼ In Black and White Strangers, Kenneth Warren suggests that a basic difference between realism and sentimentalism is that in realism, "the redemption of the individual lay within the social world," but in sentimental fiction, "the redemption of the social world lay with the individual" (75-76)
henry James(Art of Fiction): The representation of life should be the main object of the novel a james claimed that a text must first and foremost be realistic and contain a representation of life that is recognisable to its readers. Good novels, to James show life in action and are, most importantly interesting. The concept of a good or bad novel is Judged solely upon whether the author is good or bad. His imaginative use of point of view, interior monologue and possibly unreliable narrators in his own novels and tales brought a new depth and interest to narrative fiction
◼ Henry James (Art of Fiction) : The representation of life should be the main object of the novel. ◼ James claimed that a text must first and foremost be realistic and contain a representation of life that is recognisable to its readers. Good novels, to James, show life in action and are, most importantly, interesting. The concept of a good or bad novel is judged solely upon whether the author is good or bad. His imaginative use of point of view, interior monologue and possibly unreliable narrators in his own novels and tales brought a new depth and interest to narrative fiction
Background Influence of Civil War on American psychology The War led many to question the assumptions shared by the Transcendentalists concerning the benevolence of God, natural goodness and the optimistics view of nature and man people began to thnik about the real world they were living in Development of industry: With wealth being more and more accumulated in the hands of the few captains of industry who provided stories of success for the thousands of common people
Background ◼ Influence of Civil War on American psychology: The War led many to question the assumptions shared by the Transcendentalists concerning the benevolence of God, natural goodness and the optimistics view of nature and man. People began to thnik about the “real” world they were living in. ◼ Development of industry: With wealth being more and more accumulated in the hands of the few “captains of industry” who provided stories of success for the thousands of common people
The frontier is closed: The worth of the american Dream the romantic and idealized view of life and man began to lose its hold in the psychology and imaginatin of the Americans Suggesnted reading: The Significance of the Frontier in American History" by Frederick Jackson Turner at http://www.learnerorg/workshops/primarysources/corpor ations/docs/turner html a Turner presented this paper to a special meeting of the American Historical association at the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Ilinois. His assessment of the frontier's significance was the first of its kind and revolutionized american intellectual and historical thinking
◼ The frontier is closed: The worth of the American Dream, the romantic and idealized view of life and man began to lose its hold in the psychology and imaginatin of the Americans. ◼ Suggesnted reading: "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" by Frederick Jackson Turner at http://www.learner.org/workshops/primarysources/corpor ations/docs/turner.html ◼ Turner presented this paper to a special meeting of the American Historical Association at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. His assessment of the frontier's significance was the first of its kind and revolutionized American intellectual and historical thinking
Map of American Civil War 1809-1865 MN OH IL IN KS MOTY 入R IS AL KgY. Uion Notr Confederate West Viginia broke away from Virginia in #6g te joi the Unie 1808-1889
Map of American Civil War 1808 – 1889 1809－1865