Realism

According to Blooms Online Reference, realism is defined as the following: born out of the ideas of the romantic novel but infused with concrete details and accurate descriptions of society, the characters of realist fiction are drawn from the events and contexts of modern life and face everyday obstacles (Diamond). Basically, realism was, and is still used in writing to give the readers something to be able to relate to and therefore enjoy reading, despite the topic.

As for the American Dream, Abby Werlock defines it nicely on Bloom's by saying that it is a term originally used to define the aspiration peculiar to Americans in both life and fiction: to rise above one's situation at birth, to live self-sufficiently without financial worries, and to own land (Werlock). That pertains to realism in that the writers wrote with the American Dream in mind, which was that the authors wrote about and included the lives of the everyday people.

The Romanticism writing style faded in the mid to late nineteenth century and realism emerged (Barney). Because of the Civil War, several of the early realism stories dealt with slavery and war, which would make sense considering the time periods upon which realism emerged. As the years progressed and people made the transition from the Romanticism into realism.

Society took a more dramatic turn at the end of the century as well because the writing focused more on the middle class as opposed to the upper class. Barney also goes on to say that "the influence of realism on American literature was strongest between the end of the Civil War in 1865 oand the mid 1890s, and its tenets and tendencies encompass a broad spectrum of related ideologies and practices such as dialect or vernacular writing, local color, and pragmatism" (Barney).

Another point Barney brings up pertains to the different ways realism was used. He says, Howells wrote novels that are almost sociological in their emphasis on mundane details of dress, speech, and action. He thus strove to avoid melodrama with a "plain style" aimed at recording, rather than heightening, reality. Howells also usefully articulated the goal of the realist as instruction rather than entertainment" (Barney). Howells in particular would write in the realism writing style to inform rather than write just for entertainment.


Works Cited:

Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock, eds. "Romanticism." Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Age of Romanticism and Realism, 1816–1895, vol. 2, 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= EAmL0751&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 27, 2011).

Diamond, Marie Josephine, ed. "realism." Encyclopedia of World Writers, 19th and 20th Centuries. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= GEWW480&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 25, 2011).

Guelzo, Allen C. "Civil War, American." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2011. Web. 27 Jan. 2011.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "American dream." 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= Gamshrtsty0031&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 25, 2011).