1. Historical Background ●“ The Gilded Age’ In the period between the end of the civil War and the beginning of World War I, the country developed rapidly in various fields By the 1870s the New England Renaissance had waned. A host of new writers appeared They sought to portray american life as it really was o Local color fiction reached its peak of popularity in the 1880s Naturalism dominated american literature of the first decade of 20th century 2021/2212021/2/21 6 1. Historical Background: ⚫ “The Gilded Age”. ⚫ In the period between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of World War I, the country developed rapidly in various fields. ⚫ By the 1870s the New England Renaissance had waned. A host of new writers appeared. ⚫ They sought to portray American life as it really was. ⚫ Local color fiction reached its peak of popularity in the 1880s. ⚫ Naturalism dominated American literature of the first decade of 20th century