Willa Cather's two pieces of literature, "O Pioneers!" and "A Wagner Matinee," are considered works of realism. However, there are different sub-categories to realism, two of them being Regionalism and Naturalism. Willa Cather's two stories fall under the Regionalism category, because the deal with a specific region and characters from that region. The two stories deal with migration to the West. "O Pioneers!" talks about a specific family, the Bergson family, and their troubles with the migration to the West (Cather, 489). "A Wagner Matinee" talks about a woman--an aunt--who was changed by the migration to the west. She realizes this change when she visits her nephew in a more civilized town (Cather, 521).
Both of these stories show regionalism because they deal with a specific region, the West, and the influences that the West has had on them. In "O Pioneers!," Cather describes life of the pioneer. "The failure of the corn crop made labor cheap. Lou and Oscar hired two men and put in bigger crops than ever before. They lost everything they spent. The whole country was discouraged. Farmers who were already in debt had to give up their land." (Cather, 489) This could have actually happened to a family of farmers. The West was not always as promising as it was said to be, and this event is very realistic, putting it in realism and then regionalism.
The stories also fall under the realism category, because it deals with the American Dream. The American Dream then was to travel out to the romantic and wild West, start a large farm, and become very prosperous. However, this did not always happen, because the West was not as romantic and magnificent as it was portrayed. This brings in more of realism. The ideal West did not exist, and this story shows the realistic West, another example of the realism literary period.
In "A Wagner Matinee," the aunt realizes how much the migration to Nebraska had changed her (Cather, 521). She used to be a well-educated and "civilized" woman, but from the migration she had lost some of this (Cather, 526). This shows regionalism, because it shows how the aunt was changed by that certain region, how it had influenced her.
Another example of the realism and regionalism present in the two stories by Willa Cather, "O Pioneer!" and "A Wagner Matinee," is that they both deal with nature and society. The two are intertwined. Because of the nature in the West--the rough trails, the weather, the less fertile land--the people were changed; the society in the West was changed because of the nature. There were not fancy operas or sky scrapers in the west. It was the prairie and the rough terrain; therefore, the people had to deal with this and adjust to the conditions. This shows regionalism, because the people changed from the region in order to survive in that specific region. Because of all these characteristics of the two stories by Willa Cather, her stories, "O Pioneer!" and "A Wagner Matinee," fall under the literary categories of realism and regionalism.
Works Cited
Cather, Willa. "O Pioneers!" Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 489.
Cather, Willa. "A Wagner Matinee." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 521-526.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Realism Project: Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee was one of the greatest Confederate generals during the Civil War in the United States--approximately 1861 to 1865. This war, fought between the North and South, split the United States of America up, because families were fighting against each other and hundreds of thousands of men died. The start of this war was predicted, and many people were expecting a terrible out break. One of these people who predicted the Civil War was in fact Robert E. Lee. The soon to be general of the Confederate Army wrote a letter to his sons, properly titled, "Letter to His Sons." This letter explained to his sons that the Civil War was soon to happen and the consequences of that war (Lee, 385).
Robert E. Lee's letter, "Letter to His Sons," falls under the category of literature known as the Realism Literary Period. In realism, authors write about real events or real settings, somewhat like historical fiction. The hero is the average person, someone who the readers can relate to. The American Dream is what the people of the time thought of the American Dream, usually succeeding in life and climbing the ladder of success, so to speak. Many authors also wrote of society--problems in society, the current state of society, and certain classes of people in society. Religion in the realism literary period was not as important as it was in the Puritan and Romantic literary periods. It was there, but it was not the defining factor of the people's lives. All of these parts of realism show up in Robert E. Lee's letter, "Letter to His Sons."
Lee talks about the state of the country at the time, and more specific, the society. Leading up to the Civil War, the North and the South had been clashing heads over slavery and land issues. Many times, the country had tried to be reunited through compromise, but it had failed because of the two sides' unwillingness to compromise. The south wanted slavery; the north did not. There was no compromise to that that would make either side happy. War was almost inevitable, and this is was Lee told his sons (Lee, 385). Talking about the present state of the country as the main topic makes Robert E. Lee's letter, "Letter to His Sons," a true realistic piece of literature.
The next thing that makes this letter part of the realism literary period is the structure of the letter, which includes both a factual part and an emotional part. Robert E. Lee gives facts on the country's present state. That is the factual part of the letter and one part of realism. Then he uses his emotions to give the letter a tone of sincerity and disappointment that the country is about to go to war with itself. That is the emotional part of the letter and the second half of realism. The facts and the emotion present in Robert E. Lee's letter, "Letter to His Sons," classify this letter as part of the realism literary period.
Works Cited
Lee, Robert E. "Letter to His Sons." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 385.
Robert E. Lee's letter, "Letter to His Sons," falls under the category of literature known as the Realism Literary Period. In realism, authors write about real events or real settings, somewhat like historical fiction. The hero is the average person, someone who the readers can relate to. The American Dream is what the people of the time thought of the American Dream, usually succeeding in life and climbing the ladder of success, so to speak. Many authors also wrote of society--problems in society, the current state of society, and certain classes of people in society. Religion in the realism literary period was not as important as it was in the Puritan and Romantic literary periods. It was there, but it was not the defining factor of the people's lives. All of these parts of realism show up in Robert E. Lee's letter, "Letter to His Sons."
Lee talks about the state of the country at the time, and more specific, the society. Leading up to the Civil War, the North and the South had been clashing heads over slavery and land issues. Many times, the country had tried to be reunited through compromise, but it had failed because of the two sides' unwillingness to compromise. The south wanted slavery; the north did not. There was no compromise to that that would make either side happy. War was almost inevitable, and this is was Lee told his sons (Lee, 385). Talking about the present state of the country as the main topic makes Robert E. Lee's letter, "Letter to His Sons," a true realistic piece of literature.
The next thing that makes this letter part of the realism literary period is the structure of the letter, which includes both a factual part and an emotional part. Robert E. Lee gives facts on the country's present state. That is the factual part of the letter and one part of realism. Then he uses his emotions to give the letter a tone of sincerity and disappointment that the country is about to go to war with itself. That is the emotional part of the letter and the second half of realism. The facts and the emotion present in Robert E. Lee's letter, "Letter to His Sons," classify this letter as part of the realism literary period.
Works Cited
Lee, Robert E. "Letter to His Sons." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 385.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Realism Project: Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth was an African American slave, who was a proponent of freedom for all the African American slaves and also for complete women's rights. Her speech, "And Ain't I a Woman" was addressed to the Ohio Women's Rights Convention, in 1851 (Truth, 370). In this speech, she gives her thoughts on not only the treatment of white women, but the treatment of African American women. "That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody every helps me into carriages, or over mud-pudddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman?" (Truth, 370) In this powerful speech, there are many characteristics of realism, especially in the topic and structure.
The topic of this speech is the rights of women in the United States of America, both white and African American. In society, women were considered inferior to men. They were acclaimed less intelligent than men, and were said that they were not as gifted as men. "They they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [Intellect, someone whispers.] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or Negroes rights?" (Truth, 370) That was the present state of society. Men were above woman, and the white American was above the African American. It was almost like a feudalist system where there were levels of social status, and unfortunately, at that time, African Americans and women were towards the bottom. The discussion of the speech about the society of that time puts the speech in the realism literary period category. Realism works of literature commonly discussed society, nature, government, and the American Dream.
Another characteristic of realism that is present in her speech to the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in 1851 was the structure of her speech . She starts out stating the problem. Then she gives facts stating that this is a real occurring problem. Then Sojourner Truth puts in her emotions to make it a very powerful and moving speech. "Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him. If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again!" (Truth, 370) The emotion behind this statement is not hidden. One can just imagine Sojourner Truth saying this with much passion. The thing that separates this statement from being classified as Romanticism is that it has facts to back it up; therefore, the speech falls under the structure of realism.
The hero in this speech is obviously the woman, of all races. Truth stated that the women, if working together, could change society and a social status for themselves (Truth, 370). It was the women who had to endure the oppression of the men and had to deal with his pompous and egotistical statements. The women who are portrayed as heros in her speech are every day women, making them every day heros. This status is very common to realism, because the hero in realism was someone who the average person could relate to--usually the average person. All of these qualities, the structure of the speech, the topic of the speech, and the heros of the speech make this excellent speech by Sojourner Truth a realism piece of literature.
Works Cited
Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain't I a Woman." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 370.
The topic of this speech is the rights of women in the United States of America, both white and African American. In society, women were considered inferior to men. They were acclaimed less intelligent than men, and were said that they were not as gifted as men. "They they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [Intellect, someone whispers.] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or Negroes rights?" (Truth, 370) That was the present state of society. Men were above woman, and the white American was above the African American. It was almost like a feudalist system where there were levels of social status, and unfortunately, at that time, African Americans and women were towards the bottom. The discussion of the speech about the society of that time puts the speech in the realism literary period category. Realism works of literature commonly discussed society, nature, government, and the American Dream.
Another characteristic of realism that is present in her speech to the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in 1851 was the structure of her speech . She starts out stating the problem. Then she gives facts stating that this is a real occurring problem. Then Sojourner Truth puts in her emotions to make it a very powerful and moving speech. "Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him. If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again!" (Truth, 370) The emotion behind this statement is not hidden. One can just imagine Sojourner Truth saying this with much passion. The thing that separates this statement from being classified as Romanticism is that it has facts to back it up; therefore, the speech falls under the structure of realism.
The hero in this speech is obviously the woman, of all races. Truth stated that the women, if working together, could change society and a social status for themselves (Truth, 370). It was the women who had to endure the oppression of the men and had to deal with his pompous and egotistical statements. The women who are portrayed as heros in her speech are every day women, making them every day heros. This status is very common to realism, because the hero in realism was someone who the average person could relate to--usually the average person. All of these qualities, the structure of the speech, the topic of the speech, and the heros of the speech make this excellent speech by Sojourner Truth a realism piece of literature.
Works Cited
Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain't I a Woman." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 370.
Realism Project: Gospel Songs
During the Civil War Era, approximately 1861 to 1865, a literary period called the Realism Literary Period became very popular. There are many speeches,works of art, poems, novels, and even songs that can be classified as realism works of literature. Some of these songs that can be classified as part of the realism literary period are gospel songs. These are songs, commonly sung during this time period, that were mainly sung by African American slaves. This was their escape hatch, so to speak, from slavery. And because of their predicament, the topics of their songs were often about escaping to heaven and being freed from their present oppression. Three of the more famous gospel songs are "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Go Down, Moses," and "Keep Your Hand on the Plow." All of these songs have characteristics of realism, mainly in what they talk about, not necessarily in structure.
"I looked over Jordan and what did I see,
Coming for to carry me home?
A band of angels coming after me,
Coming for to carry me home.
...
I'm sometimes up, I'm sometimes down,
Coming for to carry me home,
But still my sould feels heavenly bound;
Coming for to carry me home.
...
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home." ("Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," 346)
This song deals with religion, and how by their faith, one day, they will be saved and go to heaven. In these songs they not only put their own emotions into it--the want of being rescued and the hope of being saved--but they also used Biblical facts in their songs, showing signs of realism. This same concept is present in the other songs--the use of Biblical instances to convey their emotions, and applying the Biblical situation to their own lives.
"When Israel was in Egypt's land,
Let my people go;
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,
Let my people go.
...
Go down, Moses,
'Way down in Egypt's land;
Tell ole Pharaoh
Let my people go." ("Go Down, Moses," 347)
In this song, they use figurative writing to portray their own predicament, something common to realism. Also, in a deeper sense, the fact that Moses, one of the people, was to lead them out of oppression, represents the common hero, which is a characteristic of realism. The use of this Biblical fact in their song shows the realistic characteristics of the writing.
"Hold on, hold on,
Keep your hand on the plow,
Hold on.
...
Paul and Silas bound in jail,
Had nobody for to go their bail,
Keep your hand on the plow,
Hold on." ("Keep your Hand on the Plow," 348)
In this song, the people use agriculture and Biblical references to represent their lives, and to give hope to others. Plowing was something that slaves would have to do on the plantations. In the song, they used this from their lives to figuratively mean perseverance. The use of all of this in the songs puts these gospel songs in the realism time period.
Works Cited
"Go Down, Moses." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg 347.
"Keep Your Hand on the Plow." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg 348.
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg 346.
"I looked over Jordan and what did I see,
Coming for to carry me home?
A band of angels coming after me,
Coming for to carry me home.
...
I'm sometimes up, I'm sometimes down,
Coming for to carry me home,
But still my sould feels heavenly bound;
Coming for to carry me home.
...
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home." ("Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," 346)
This song deals with religion, and how by their faith, one day, they will be saved and go to heaven. In these songs they not only put their own emotions into it--the want of being rescued and the hope of being saved--but they also used Biblical facts in their songs, showing signs of realism. This same concept is present in the other songs--the use of Biblical instances to convey their emotions, and applying the Biblical situation to their own lives.
"When Israel was in Egypt's land,
Let my people go;
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,
Let my people go.
...
Go down, Moses,
'Way down in Egypt's land;
Tell ole Pharaoh
Let my people go." ("Go Down, Moses," 347)
In this song, they use figurative writing to portray their own predicament, something common to realism. Also, in a deeper sense, the fact that Moses, one of the people, was to lead them out of oppression, represents the common hero, which is a characteristic of realism. The use of this Biblical fact in their song shows the realistic characteristics of the writing.
"Hold on, hold on,
Keep your hand on the plow,
Hold on.
...
Paul and Silas bound in jail,
Had nobody for to go their bail,
Keep your hand on the plow,
Hold on." ("Keep your Hand on the Plow," 348)
In this song, the people use agriculture and Biblical references to represent their lives, and to give hope to others. Plowing was something that slaves would have to do on the plantations. In the song, they used this from their lives to figuratively mean perseverance. The use of all of this in the songs puts these gospel songs in the realism time period.
Works Cited
"Go Down, Moses." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg 347.
"Keep Your Hand on the Plow." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg 348.
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg 346.
Realism Project: Abraham Lincoln
Abraham was the sixteenth President of the United States of America, and being so, he lived during the Realism Literary time period. Two of his more famous speeches are "The Gettysburg Address" and "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865." These speeches are prime examples of realism, in both structure and topic.
"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations" (Lincoln, 339). This is a statement made by Abraham Lincoln in his "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865." In this little section, the characteristics are obvious. First off, Lincoln is talking about the state of the country and how to fix it; this is realism, because the topic is a real occurrence in history and deals with the country and government. The second reason that this work fits into the realism category is that, in structure, Lincoln presents it using facts and emotion. He tells what is going on in the country--fact. Then he says what must be done to change the present state of things to make the new nation a stronger and better nation. As he states this, Abraham Lincoln uses much emotion, showing that he truly cares what is going on in the country and about the United States of America itself.
This speech is apparent in general topic and structure that is part of the realism literary period. However, if one looks specifically into the subcategories of realism, one can see that the speech is a perfect fit. One of these categories is the American Dream, which is definitely tied into this category. When Abraham Lincoln gave this speech, the Civil War was coming to a close, and the nation was in pieces because of it. Land was destroyed, families were broken, and approximately two and a half million people had died. The spirit of America was crushed. Because of this, the American Dream at the time was to regain the previous economical status and to truly be free. African Americans wanted freedom, complete freedom. American citizens wanted freedom from sectional prejudice--North and South. The nation needed to be reunited, and it was the dream of all Americans to see it reunited. In Abraham Lincoln's speech, "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865," Lincoln told what was wrong and how to fix it, how to fix the American Dream and make it come true, a characteristic of realism.
Along the same lines, the hero of realism is usually someone that the reader can relate to. It is not a Superman or Batman. It is the grocery store owner or the common hard working citizen. In Lincoln's speech, he brings together everyone, for everyone needs to be a part of the reconstruction in order for the nation to be stitched back together, for the American Dream to become a reality. The hero in this speech is the people themselves, for it is the people who can make this happen. Using this common hero as the main character as the hero of the story is a definite characteristic of realism.
In Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address," the same structure and topics apply, and they equally show the characteristics of realism. Overall, Abraham Lincoln's speeches showed apparent characteristics of realism, adding more to the Realism Literary Period.
Works Cited
Lincoln, Abraham. from "Second Inaugural Address." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg 339.
"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations" (Lincoln, 339). This is a statement made by Abraham Lincoln in his "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865." In this little section, the characteristics are obvious. First off, Lincoln is talking about the state of the country and how to fix it; this is realism, because the topic is a real occurrence in history and deals with the country and government. The second reason that this work fits into the realism category is that, in structure, Lincoln presents it using facts and emotion. He tells what is going on in the country--fact. Then he says what must be done to change the present state of things to make the new nation a stronger and better nation. As he states this, Abraham Lincoln uses much emotion, showing that he truly cares what is going on in the country and about the United States of America itself.
This speech is apparent in general topic and structure that is part of the realism literary period. However, if one looks specifically into the subcategories of realism, one can see that the speech is a perfect fit. One of these categories is the American Dream, which is definitely tied into this category. When Abraham Lincoln gave this speech, the Civil War was coming to a close, and the nation was in pieces because of it. Land was destroyed, families were broken, and approximately two and a half million people had died. The spirit of America was crushed. Because of this, the American Dream at the time was to regain the previous economical status and to truly be free. African Americans wanted freedom, complete freedom. American citizens wanted freedom from sectional prejudice--North and South. The nation needed to be reunited, and it was the dream of all Americans to see it reunited. In Abraham Lincoln's speech, "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865," Lincoln told what was wrong and how to fix it, how to fix the American Dream and make it come true, a characteristic of realism.
Along the same lines, the hero of realism is usually someone that the reader can relate to. It is not a Superman or Batman. It is the grocery store owner or the common hard working citizen. In Lincoln's speech, he brings together everyone, for everyone needs to be a part of the reconstruction in order for the nation to be stitched back together, for the American Dream to become a reality. The hero in this speech is the people themselves, for it is the people who can make this happen. Using this common hero as the main character as the hero of the story is a definite characteristic of realism.
In Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address," the same structure and topics apply, and they equally show the characteristics of realism. Overall, Abraham Lincoln's speeches showed apparent characteristics of realism, adding more to the Realism Literary Period.
Works Cited
Lincoln, Abraham. from "Second Inaugural Address." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg 339.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Realism Project: Frederick Douglass and the Meaning of the Fourth of July
On July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, Frederick Douglass gave his speech "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" to a white audience, explaining his beliefs on the holiday (Douglass, 337). In this speech, he criticized the American holiday, the Fourth of July, saying that it is hypocritical, as it celebrates the American freedom from Britain, but mocks the slavery of African Americans. "To him [the African American slave], your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy--a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages" (Douglass, 337). This is a section from Frederick Douglass's speech on why the holiday is a terrible hypocrisy to the African slave.
Frederick Douglass made this speech in 1852, which was during the Realism literary time period. Likewise, his speech, "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," shows obvious examples of realism. One of the characteristics of realism is that it deals with real places, real history, real people, real occurrences. The Fourth of July is a major holiday in America; that is the real setting--a characteristic of realism. The next sign of realism in this speech is that it deals with a major situation that really happened in the United States of America--slavery. Slavery in the United States lasted approximately one hundred years, and throughout it, but specifically towards the end, the conflict filled the United States with much angst and concern. The topic of Frederick Douglass's speech was soaked in realism.
The next characteristic of Frederick Douglass's speech, "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," was that it combined facts and emotion, something very common to the Realism literary period. Frederick Douglass said that slavery was a problem, and he talked about what went on in slavery; this is the factual part of the speech. When Frederick Douglass goes into how it appears to the African American slave and how it feels to them, that is the emotional part of the speech. "...
your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless..." (Douglass, 337). Combining the factual and emotional parts of the speech gives it a completely realistic character.
The structure and topics of this speech are what give it that realistic quality. It was about a real event, during a real time; this speech happened. Also, the use of of facts and emotions give it the realistic quality. During the slavery movement, many abolitionist speeches arose, and they could almost all be characterized as realist literary period speech. They are considered this, because they all contain the same structure and topics that Frederick Douglass used in his speech, making them a key proponent of the Realism Literary Period.
Works Cited
Douglass, Frederick. "The Meaning of July Fourth to the Negro." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 337. Print.
Frederick Douglass made this speech in 1852, which was during the Realism literary time period. Likewise, his speech, "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," shows obvious examples of realism. One of the characteristics of realism is that it deals with real places, real history, real people, real occurrences. The Fourth of July is a major holiday in America; that is the real setting--a characteristic of realism. The next sign of realism in this speech is that it deals with a major situation that really happened in the United States of America--slavery. Slavery in the United States lasted approximately one hundred years, and throughout it, but specifically towards the end, the conflict filled the United States with much angst and concern. The topic of Frederick Douglass's speech was soaked in realism.
The next characteristic of Frederick Douglass's speech, "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," was that it combined facts and emotion, something very common to the Realism literary period. Frederick Douglass said that slavery was a problem, and he talked about what went on in slavery; this is the factual part of the speech. When Frederick Douglass goes into how it appears to the African American slave and how it feels to them, that is the emotional part of the speech. "...
your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless..." (Douglass, 337). Combining the factual and emotional parts of the speech gives it a completely realistic character.
The structure and topics of this speech are what give it that realistic quality. It was about a real event, during a real time; this speech happened. Also, the use of of facts and emotions give it the realistic quality. During the slavery movement, many abolitionist speeches arose, and they could almost all be characterized as realist literary period speech. They are considered this, because they all contain the same structure and topics that Frederick Douglass used in his speech, making them a key proponent of the Realism Literary Period.
Works Cited
Douglass, Frederick. "The Meaning of July Fourth to the Negro." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 337. Print.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Realism Project: Regionalism
Regionalism is defined as "a literary subgenre that emphasizes the setting, history, speech, dialect, and customs of a particular geographical locale or area, not only for local color, but also for development of universal themes through the use of the local and particular" (Werlock); however, it is more of a description of realism than a sub-category. Regionalism has the same qualities as realism, but it focuses on a certain environment or region to make the story more real and come to life. "Although the term regionalist is sometimes used to describe an author whose work has limited appeal, many of the best American writers write about specific communities that have an intrinsic interest for them—so much so that author and place cannot be conceived of apart. In this sense, the term regionalist is descriptive and not limiting" (Anderson).
Regionalist writers use a particular region to talk about, making their story more of a historical fiction novel, and very much realistic in a literary sense. The characters of these novels are relative to the characters at that time and place. For example, a western novel would be filled with western characters. "The American West embodies the American myth of the self-made man, the loner, and the adventurer heading out for new territory and exploring the frontier. The novels of Owen Wister and Zane Grey made the cowboy a staple of the American mythos" (Anderson). A New England regionalist author might write about a factory owner in New York, or a Southern regionalist writer might write about a plantation owner during the Civil War.
The regionalist American Dream is still very similar to that of realism and naturalism, to succeed by the standards set at the time. However, the hero of regionalism is different than the hero of realism or naturalism. Because different regions had different environments, different people, and different mind sets, the hero was whoever was considered a hero in that area. For example, the cowboy could be considered the hero of the West, while the high and mighty business owner of a national company would be seen as the hero of the North. Each is subject to the region or environment, hence the name regionalism.
"To Anderson, the more specific a writer was about the setting of his story, the more believable he could make his characters; for him, the particular led to the universal" (Anderson). That is what regionalism is, in a deeper sense. It is the use of a place very close to the author's heart to unlock a whole new story a whole new world.
Works Cited
Anderson, George P., Judith S. Baughman, Matthew J. Bruccoli, and Carl Rollyson, eds."regionalism." Encyclopedia of American Literature: Into the Modern: 1896–1945, vol. 3, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EAmL1330&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 8, 2011).
Werlock, Abby H. P. "regionalism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0581&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 8, 2011).
Regionalist writers use a particular region to talk about, making their story more of a historical fiction novel, and very much realistic in a literary sense. The characters of these novels are relative to the characters at that time and place. For example, a western novel would be filled with western characters. "The American West embodies the American myth of the self-made man, the loner, and the adventurer heading out for new territory and exploring the frontier. The novels of Owen Wister and Zane Grey made the cowboy a staple of the American mythos" (Anderson). A New England regionalist author might write about a factory owner in New York, or a Southern regionalist writer might write about a plantation owner during the Civil War.
The regionalist American Dream is still very similar to that of realism and naturalism, to succeed by the standards set at the time. However, the hero of regionalism is different than the hero of realism or naturalism. Because different regions had different environments, different people, and different mind sets, the hero was whoever was considered a hero in that area. For example, the cowboy could be considered the hero of the West, while the high and mighty business owner of a national company would be seen as the hero of the North. Each is subject to the region or environment, hence the name regionalism.
"To Anderson, the more specific a writer was about the setting of his story, the more believable he could make his characters; for him, the particular led to the universal" (Anderson). That is what regionalism is, in a deeper sense. It is the use of a place very close to the author's heart to unlock a whole new story a whole new world.
Works Cited
Anderson, George P., Judith S. Baughman, Matthew J. Bruccoli, and Carl Rollyson, eds."regionalism." Encyclopedia of American Literature: Into the Modern: 1896–1945, vol. 3, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EAmL1330&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 8, 2011).
Werlock, Abby H. P. "regionalism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0581&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 8, 2011).
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