Realism 1850 1900 extensive westward expansion Rejection of

extensive westward expansion ○ Rejection of Romantic view of life as too idealistic ○

Realism Characteristics ○ Authors convey the reality of life, however harsh ○ Characters reflect

1861 -1865 Realism Civil War Writers Depicted the realities of ● Slavery ● Civil

Realism Local Color Writers (Regionalists) Focused on accurately representing the culture and beliefs of

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Realism (1850 -1900)

extensive westward expansion ○ Rejection of Romantic view of life as too idealistic ○ Objective narrator Trail of Tears ○ Writers write about real-life issues and complex events of the time rather than idealized people or places Child Laborers ○ Realism Historical Context Civil War, significant industrial inventions, and

Realism Characteristics ○ Authors convey the reality of life, however harsh ○ Characters reflect ordinary people in everyday life: determined yet flawed, struggling to overcome the difficulties of war, family, natural disasters, and human weaknesses ○ Good doesn’t always triumph over evil Art Imitates Life ○ Nature is a powerful force beyond man’s control ○ Racism persisted beyond slavery— Reconstruction, Jim Crow, KKK, etc.

1861 -1865 Realism Civil War Writers Depicted the realities of ● Slavery ● Civil War Championed ● Abolitionism ● Women’s suffrage Abraham Lincoln Sojourner Truth Harriet Beecher Stowe Frederick Douglass Ambrose Bierce

Realism Local Color Writers (Regionalists) Focused on accurately representing the culture and beliefs of a particular region of the country Mark Twain (Mississippi River valley) Emphasized: ● Physical landscape ● Habits Kate Chopin ● Occupations (the South; Louisiana) ● Speech (dialect) of the area’s people Willa Cather (the Midwest; Nebraska)