Realism 1865 1915 1865 Population 35 Million 1915

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Realism 1865 -1915

Realism 1865 -1915

1865 Population 35 Million 1915 Population 100 Million

1865 Population 35 Million 1915 Population 100 Million

Exploration and Exploitation America has passed its greatest Emerges with newfound confidence Westward Expansion

Exploration and Exploitation America has passed its greatest Emerges with newfound confidence Westward Expansion Homestead Act Transcontinental Railroad The “Cowboy” Urban Industrialization Steam Power Factory Model Electricity The “American Way” Rugged, Hardheaded, Individualism

West: Wild and Unsettled East: Urban and Dense

West: Wild and Unsettled East: Urban and Dense

Political Scene After Lincoln, two decades of corruption and mediocrity Cleveland presidency (1885 -89;

Political Scene After Lincoln, two decades of corruption and mediocrity Cleveland presidency (1885 -89; 1893 -97) creates reform Teddy Roosevelt (1901 -1909): The Ironic President Conservative who reforms big business (anti-trust laws) Hunter who becomes the first conservationist (national parks) War hawk who wins the Nobel Peace Prize (Russia-Japan) Wilson elected in 1913 and WWI breaks out in 1914

Social Scene Reconstruction and post-slavery race relations Women’s suffrage Roughly 10% of the population

Social Scene Reconstruction and post-slavery race relations Women’s suffrage Roughly 10% of the population controls 90% of the wealth The “Gilded Age” Cornelius Vanderbilt: a railroad empire John D. Rockefeller: an oil empire Andrew Carnegie: a steel empire J. P. Morgan: a banking and corporate empire No social programs or government oversight creates a new class The Working Poor Strikes, riots, and a stock market collapse Powerful labor and farm organizations emerge Science and traditional religion fall into conflict

Literary Scene Realism (the way things are) emerges as a reaction against Romanticism (the

Literary Scene Realism (the way things are) emerges as a reaction against Romanticism (the way things ought to be) Local Color authors (or Regionalists) focus on the atmosphere and quirks—the flavor or “color”—of particular communities Naturalists view nature as an indifferent force with which man must constantly wrestle The role of the author now becomes one of documentarian, doing his best to mirror the social fabric of everyday America, capturing the experience of the ordinary rather than the extraordinary

Realism Common Characteristics 1. Captures a direct impression of life 2. Engages fundamental moral

Realism Common Characteristics 1. Captures a direct impression of life 2. Engages fundamental moral and social themes 3. Emphasizes the present 4. Believes in a deterministic universe Makes the world a rather indifferent place for the individual

Plot and Character is more important than action and plot; complex ethical choices are

Plot and Character is more important than action and plot; complex ethical choices are often the subject. Characters appear in the real complexity of temperament and motive; they are shown in relation to nature, to each other, to their social class, to their own past. Humans control their destinies; characters act on their environment rather than simply reacting to it. Renders reality closely and in comprehensive detail. Selective presentation of reality with an emphasis on verisimilitude (the appearance of being true/real), even at the expense of a well-made plot.

“The Outcasts of Poker Flat” As Mr. John Oakhurst, gambler, stepped into the main

“The Outcasts of Poker Flat” As Mr. John Oakhurst, gambler, stepped into the main street of Poker Flat on the morning of the twenty-third of November, 1850, he was conscious of a change in its moral atmosphere since the preceding night. Two or three men, conversing earnestly together, ceased as he approached, and exchanged significant glances. There was a Sabbath lull in the air which, in a settlement unused to Sabbath influences, looked ominous. Mr. Oakhurst's calm, handsome face betrayed small concern in these indications. Whether he was conscious of any predisposing cause was another question. "I reckon they're after somebody, " he reflected; "likely it's me. " He returned to his pocket the handkerchief with which he had been whipping away the red dust of Poker Flat from his neat boots, and quietly discharged his mind of any further conjecture…. Mr. Oakhurst received his sentence with philosophic calmness, none the less coolly that he was aware of the hesitation of his judges. He was too much of a gambler not to accept Fate. With him life was at best an uncertain game, and he recognized the usual percentage in favor of the dealer.

Plot and Character Events will usually be plausible. Realistic novels avoid the sensational, dramatic

Plot and Character Events will usually be plausible. Realistic novels avoid the sensational, dramatic elements of naturalistic novels and romances. Class is important; the novel has traditionally served the interests and aspirations of an insurgent middle class. Realism is viewed as a realization of democracy. Relations between people and society are explored. “The Sculptor’s Funeral”

Structure of Prose Diction is the natural vernacular, not heightened or poetic; tone may

Structure of Prose Diction is the natural vernacular, not heightened or poetic; tone may be comic, satiric, or matter-of-fact. The use of symbolism is controlled and limited; the realists depend more on the use of images. Objectivity in presentation becomes increasingly important: overt authorial comments or intrusions diminish as the century progresses.

Dialect Mispronunciations Bad grammar Regional terms for items Swear words Dependent on the time

Dialect Mispronunciations Bad grammar Regional terms for items Swear words Dependent on the time period

Translate these into Standard English It was a close place. I took it up,

Translate these into Standard English It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. – Huck in Huckleberry Finn “You ain’t got de nachel o’gans / Fu’ to make de soun’ come right / You ain’t got de tu’ns an’ twistin’s / Fu’ to make it sweet an’ light. – Dunbar’s “When Melindy Sings” lines 1 -4 https: //www. theatlantic. com/entertainment/archive/2012/10/howsound-bees-knees-dictionary-1920 s-slang/322320/

Paul Laurence Dunbar Open your book to page 532, and read only the poem,

Paul Laurence Dunbar Open your book to page 532, and read only the poem, “We Wear the Mask”. On a sheet of notebook paper labeled Dunbar, put a #1. 1. Summarize this poem and respond to the message it’s conveying. Can you relate? Explain. Now we will read more about Dunbar and more of his poems. After we finish reading the packet, come back to this sheet of paper to complete #2.

Paul Laurence Dunbar was the first African-American to gain national distinction as a poet.

Paul Laurence Dunbar was the first African-American to gain national distinction as a poet. Born in 1872 in Dayton, Ohio, he was the son of ex-slaves. His style encompasses two distinct voices -- the standard English of the classical poet and the evocative dialect of the turn-of-the-century black community in America. He was gifted in poetry -- the way that Mark Twain was in prose -- in using dialect to convey character. “When Melindy Sings” https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=t. Cd. BC 266 ARg

Paul Laurence Dunbar 2. Now that you have learned more about Dunbar, has the

Paul Laurence Dunbar 2. Now that you have learned more about Dunbar, has the meaning of this poem change? Reread it. Does your interpretation of his message change now that you understand the author’s perspective?

The Great Umbrella Realism Local Color Naturalism Social Protest Feminism African Americans Worker s

The Great Umbrella Realism Local Color Naturalism Social Protest Feminism African Americans Worker s

Local Color An offshoot of Realism that attempts to embody elements that are peculiar

Local Color An offshoot of Realism that attempts to embody elements that are peculiar to a particular region Hence, it is also known as Regionalism Distinctive elements often captured include dialect, folklore, customs, even landscape South was especially bountiful

Local Color Primary Characteristics 1. Setting is crucial to story—sometimes even a character 2.

Local Color Primary Characteristics 1. Setting is crucial to story—sometimes even a character 2. Characters are marked by regional dialects and traits 3. Narrator is typically an “educated observer” 4. Plot and themes often revolve around “community” Celebration of community Conflict between urban and rural impulses Resistance to change an ever-nostalgic view of a golden-age past

Mark Twain 1835 -1910 Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens Born in Hannibal, Missouri At 11,

Mark Twain 1835 -1910 Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens Born in Hannibal, Missouri At 11, father dies and Twain leaves school At 21, pursues a career as a riverboat pilot When war closes the Mississippi, supports himself as a journalist A linguist’s ear for dialect, a storyteller’s gift for spinning yarns, and a journalist’s impulse for exposing social problems Perhaps America’s greatest and most popular cynic, he manages to strike an entertaining balance between humor and complete pessimism Travels to Europe in 1879 and writes The Innocents Abroad to criticize European customs, language, and culture. Its sequel, A Tramp Abroad, came a year later. “Jim Baker’s Blue-Jay Yarn” was included in A Tramp Abroad as an American reminiscence

“Jim Baker’s Blue Jay Yarn” Written from memory of a story from his friend

“Jim Baker’s Blue Jay Yarn” Written from memory of a story from his friend while prospecting for gold Satirizes human perseverance and social behavior Trying to fill A Tramp Abroad with “profitable reading” Tall Tale An allusion to an ill-received, off-color speech he gave at a formal party Framed Story What makes this a local color story?

Frame Story Also called a FRAME NARRATIVE: A story within a story, within sometimes

Frame Story Also called a FRAME NARRATIVE: A story within a story, within sometimes yet another story, as in, for example, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The form echoes in structure thematic search in the story for something deep, dark, and secret at the heart of the narrative. One Thousand One Nights; Wuthering Heights https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=7 y 119 k. QMYqs The movie Titanic https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=t. F 8 fr_S 0 IS 0 The TV show How I Met Your Mother https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=n. W 82 f. RNJc 84

Satire A kind of writing that holds up to ridicule or contempt the weaknesses

Satire A kind of writing that holds up to ridicule or contempt the weaknesses and wrongdoings of individuals, groups, institutions, or humanity in general “A man can’t write successful satire except he be in a calm judicial good-humor. ” -Twain http: //thecolbertreport. cc. com/videos/cbr 3 yz/-yo-smartphone-app http: //thedailyshow. cc. com/videos/dhh 4 xf/a-farewell-to -egyptian-satire https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=510 e. Mpq. Vs. Oc

“Running for Governor” Vocabulary Foible – n. – minor weakness or flaw Condescend –

“Running for Governor” Vocabulary Foible – n. – minor weakness or flaw Condescend – v. – to lower oneself to the level of another Suffrage – n. – the right to vote Deign – v. – to do something that you believe is below you Admonition – n. – a warning Malicious – adj. – intending to harm Vile –adj. –extremely unpleasant Gratuitous – adj. – unprovoked; done free of charge Vengeance – n. – punishment inflicted for a wrong Subterfuge – n. – deceit used in order to attain a goal Shirk –v. –to avoid or neglect (usually a duty) Clamor –v. – to shout loudly and insistently

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Published in 1885, almost a decade after Tom Sawyer A

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Published in 1885, almost a decade after Tom Sawyer A hard look at pre-Civil War social attitudes and cultural norms— especially racism and particularly in the South The book was criticized upon release because of its coarse language, and became even more controversial in the 20 th century because of its perceived use of racial stereotypes and slurs One of the—if not the—most banned books in American history The drifting journey of Huck and his friend Jim, a runaway slave, down the Mississippi River on their raft may be one of the most enduring images of escape and freedom in all of American literature

The Plot The novel is narrated by Huck Finn and sees him faking his

The Plot The novel is narrated by Huck Finn and sees him faking his own death to get away from his hapless and drunken father. Together with Jim, a runaway slave, Huck makes his way down the Mississippi on a raft. Along their journey, Huck and Jim become involved with a series of peculiar and suspicious characters, such as the feuding Grangerford and Shepheredson families and later the shady ‘Duke’ and ‘Dauphin’ who sell Jim back into slavery. Like Tom Sawyer, its predecessor, Huck Finn is a picaresque novel (i. e. , a travel adventure), but together its separate elements form a complex commentary on the “American experience” as seen through the eyes of an innocent boy. It is essentially a “rite of passage”. . . with a problem.

The Style Twain was attempting to move away from pure “literary” writing, and was

The Style Twain was attempting to move away from pure “literary” writing, and was experimenting with dialect Perhaps the first entirely vernacular novel A quick comparison among his various revisions of the novel’s first line demonstrates his intentions You will not know about me. You don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'; but that ain't no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly.

Charges of Racism So I was full of trouble, full as I could be;

Charges of Racism So I was full of trouble, full as I could be; and didn't know what to do. At last I had an idea; and I says, I'll go and write the letter—and then see if I can pray. Why, it was astonishing, the way I felt as light as a feather right straight off, and my troubles all gone. So I got a piece of paper and a pencil, all glad and excited, and set down and wrote: Miss Watson, your runaway n----r Jim is down here two mile below Pikesville, and Mr. Phelps has got him and he will give him up for the reward if you send. Huck Finn.

I felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time I

I felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray now. But I didn't do it straight off, but laid the paper down and set there thinking—thinking how good it was all this happened so, and how near I come to being lost and going to hell. And went on thinking. And got to thinking over our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me all the time: in the day and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and singing and laughing. But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind.

I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, 'stead of calling me,

I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, 'stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping; and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog; and when I come to him again in the swamp, up there where the feud was; and suchlike times; and would always call me honey, and pet me, and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had smallpox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he's got now; and then I happened to look around and see that paper.

It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my

It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: "All right, then, I'll go to hell" - and tore it up.

Naturalism An extension of Realism, the Naturalists go one step further, suggesting that people

Naturalism An extension of Realism, the Naturalists go one step further, suggesting that people have only limited control over their destiny Instead, they place greater emphasis on heredity, environment, economic circumstance, and other things often beyond our control They examine people and society objectively and, like a scientist, draw conclusions from observations Stephen Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893) Willa Cather’s My Ántonia (1918) Jack London is perhaps the best known—and one of the purest

Bret Harte 1836 -1902 Published a series of stories set in mining towns of

Bret Harte 1836 -1902 Published a series of stories set in mining towns of California Became Twain’s mentor but later the two hated each other; Twain Harte, CA, is named for them. “In the early days I liked Bret Harte and so did the others, but by and by I got over it; so also did the others. He couldn't keep a friend permanently. He was bad, distinctly bad; he had no feeling and he had no conscience. ” - Mark Twain's Autobiography “Harte is a liar, a thief, a swindler, a snob, a sot, a sponge, a coward […]” - Letter to William Dean Howells, June 1878 http: //www. twainquotes. com/Harte_Bret. html

Bret Harte “The Luck of Roaring Camp” (1868) “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” (1869)

Bret Harte “The Luck of Roaring Camp” (1868) “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” (1869) (page 452) What makes this a naturalist story?

“The Outcasts…” Vocabulary Conjecture (452) n. – an assumption Expatriated (452) adj. – deported;

“The Outcasts…” Vocabulary Conjecture (452) n. – an assumption Expatriated (452) adj. – deported; driven from one’s homeland Anathema (453) n. – curse Precipice (454) n. – a very steep cliff Bellicose (454) adj. – quarrelsome Pariah (454) n. – an outcast Guileless (454) adj. – innocent; without ill-intent or deception

“The Outcasts…” Vocabulary cont. Occult (456) adj. –mystical or supernatural Vociferation (456) n. –

“The Outcasts…” Vocabulary cont. Occult (456) adj. –mystical or supernatural Vociferation (456) n. – a shout Cache (456) n. –collection of items hidden away (v. – to hide away) Ostentatiously (456) adv. – pretentious or showy in order to impress Vernacular (457) n. – the dialect spoken by ordinary people in a particular region Querulous (458) adj. – inclined to find fault

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Vocabulary Acclivity - n. – upward slope Embrasure

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Vocabulary Acclivity - n. – upward slope Embrasure – n. opening Deference – n. – respect Etiquette – n. – rules for manners and ceremonies Imperious – adj. – assuming power without justification; arrogant and domineering Dictum – n. – a statement or saying

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Vocabulary Ramification –n. – a complex consequence of

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Vocabulary Ramification –n. – a complex consequence of an action; or a branchlike structure Periodicity – n. – a recurrence at regular intervals Oscillation – n. – the act of swinging back and forth repetitively Preternaturally – adv. – abnormally Malign – adj. – evil in nature; malevolent

The Call of the Wild First published in 1903, The Call of the Wild

The Call of the Wild First published in 1903, The Call of the Wild is based on London's experiences as a gold prospector in the Canadian wilderness and his ideas about nature and the struggle for existence The plot concerns Buck, a big suburban St. Bernard, who is dognapped by men procuring dogs to be used as sled transportation during the Yukon Gold Rush of Alaska. From pampered city-dog to mistreated domestic-going-feral mixed breed to well-treated frontier dog, Buck learns survival, adaptation, and much about humanity's range of character and behavioral traits. Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tidewater dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego.

Feminism Women break from the romantic molds that had come to define their gender

Feminism Women break from the romantic molds that had come to define their gender in popular fiction Often subtle in their critiques, but sometimes quite open While writing in authentic, often local colors, they also portray the universal struggle for female independence Sarah Orne Jewett’s A Country Doctor (1884) lays foundation Kate Chopin’s The Awakening (1899) is a watershed moment

Willa Cather Intent on telling the truths of a particular time and place, she

Willa Cather Intent on telling the truths of a particular time and place, she made her own prose as spare as the land about which she was writing, and became a pioneer in American fiction. Cather was nine when her family moved to Nebraska, following her father’s parents and his brother, who had emigrated during the 1870 s. Cather’s family left behind a large and prosperous farm, a house that Cather remembered as roomy and cheerful, and the lush foliage of Virginia. Her family settled on a farm near Red Cloud, Nebraska. The near-treeless countryside could not have been less like Virginia, and the drastic change took a toll. Cather said that the new landscape had evoked a sense of “erasure of

 Cather’s nonconformity was much gossiped about in Red Cloud — she frequently dressed

Cather’s nonconformity was much gossiped about in Red Cloud — she frequently dressed in men’s clothing and had the outlandish ambition to become a doctor; she also studied Latin in her attic study. Later on in her life, Cather wrote: The cities of America contain a Great Plains diaspora, full of people who left the small towns and farms of their youth for an easier life, who felt that they had to leave in order to make their way in the world. They are haunted by the past and by the painful ambiguities of their relationships with the friends and relatives who remained on the land.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1860 -1935 Born into one of the “great” families of the

Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1860 -1935 Born into one of the “great” families of the 19 th century “Family” is the problem in both her life and her work Father abandons family and leaves them destitute Mother was cold and unable to show Charlotte affection

Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1884: Marries a Bohemian artist who was nevertheless “traditional” in his

Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1884: Marries a Bohemian artist who was nevertheless “traditional” in his views on gender 1885: Gives birth to a daughter (her only child) and begins suffering from post-partum depression Visits S. Wier Mitchell—a famous specialist in “hysteria” “The Yellow Wall-paper” (1892) is a psychological and suspenseful tale of isolation and insanity based largely on Gilman’s own experience with the “rest cure”

Dr. S. Wier Mitchell Charlotte Perkins Gilman REST CURE ü Remain in bed for

Dr. S. Wier Mitchell Charlotte Perkins Gilman REST CURE ü Remain in bed for 6 weeks to 2 months ü No sitting up for the first 4 -5 weeks ü No sewing, writing, reading, or the use of one’s hands other than to clean the teeth ü Bowels may be passed while lying down ü Patient may be lifted onto a lounge for an hour in the morning and again at bedtime and then lifted back into the newly made bed

“The Yellow Wall-Paper” Written in 1890, but not published until 1892 Told from the

“The Yellow Wall-Paper” Written in 1890, but not published until 1892 Told from the point of view of a nameless female protagonist who undergoes a version of the rest cure, in an ancestral home, while on vacation with her husband, who happens to be a doctor, and who actually prescribes the cure himself. She is there with her baby (whom we never see) and her sister-in -law (who is a helper). She spends all her time in the bedroom (which once was a nursery) and writes (secretively) about her increasing fascination with the strange yellow wallpaper. She begins to see odd patterns in it; she begins to identify with it; she begins to enter into it and into the “fantasy” world it generates.

Descent into Madness … or Escape into Freedom? From what is the narrator suffering?

Descent into Madness … or Escape into Freedom? From what is the narrator suffering? Why, how, and to whom is she writing? Isolation What is the wallpaper? What does it look like? How does the narrator perceive it? How does it behave? What is the conflict? What is the plot? Fascination>Identification>Transformation Insanity

Triumph of Imagination … or Tragedy of Society? Does the room have a history

Triumph of Imagination … or Tragedy of Society? Does the room have a history Symbolic? Ironic? Symbolism? Wallpaper? Window? Names? Motif? Style? Phrases? Descriptions? Style? Sentences? Voice? Plot? Irony of the ending Is she freed by her imagination or trapped inside it? Has she locked others out or locked herself in?

Timed Writing Task: research what you think is driving our protagonist to madness: post-partum

Timed Writing Task: research what you think is driving our protagonist to madness: post-partum depression, her husband’s poisoning/infidelity, toxic mold poisoning, the rest cure, or something else. Bring an article about your theory to cite as supporting evidence for your essay. Prompt: In a multiple-paragraph essay (including a short intro and conclusion) defend your theory of what is driving the protagonist to insanity. Use evidence from your article and the text to support your reasoning. The essay should be a single-spaced hand-written page. Turn in and staple your article to your essay.

Social Protest Perhaps the most controversial post-Civil War issue of the time was the

Social Protest Perhaps the most controversial post-Civil War issue of the time was the public discussionregarding the rights of a newly created population—free African Americans How would freedom be defined for this population? Two writers, more than anyone else, came to embody the divided mindset of the African-American population Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois

Two Different Men on Two Different Paths Booker T. Washington W. E. B. Du

Two Different Men on Two Different Paths Booker T. Washington W. E. B. Du Bois (1836 -1915) (1868 -1963) Born into slavery Born post-Civil War Southerner Northerner Salt-packer and Coalminer Hampton Institute graduate and later president of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute Part of a small, free, landowning black population in a largely white community Harvard graduate The Souls of Black Folk (1903) Advocated Liberal Arts Up from Slavery (1901) Advocated Industrial Arts

Vocabulary Transient – adj. – Prodigious – adj. – Eminence – n. – Forestall

Vocabulary Transient – adj. – Prodigious – adj. – Eminence – n. – Forestall –v. – Repression – n. – Elusive –adj. – Tumultuously – adv. – Importunities – n. Conjectural – adj. –

Vocabulary cont. Unwonted – adj. – Conflagration – n. – Peremptorily – adv. –

Vocabulary cont. Unwonted – adj. – Conflagration – n. – Peremptorily – adv. – Cynical – adj. – Apropos –n. – Ingenuously –adv. – Aberrations –n. – Scathe less –adj. –

Vocab cont. Opprobrious –adj. – Obstreperous – adj. – Pathos –n. – Acquiesced –

Vocab cont. Opprobrious –adj. – Obstreperous – adj. – Pathos –n. – Acquiesced – v. –