Exam One Flashcards
What are some characteristics of Romanticism?
- past and remote settings
- metaphysical/transcendental
- Emerson, Hawthorne, Melville
- reliance on symbolism
What are some characteristics of the Realism period?
- present (the here and now)
- “you” stories were common–> character driven
- emphasis on prose and fiction
- everyday problems
- linear narrative
- replicate authentic American dialect
- rewards for making the right decision
What are some characteristics of the Naturalism period?
- nature is indifferent
- trying to trigger social change
- bleaker stories and settings
- freewill is an allusion
- more pessimistic
- nature and society are both killers no matter how hard you work
What are some characteristics of Modernism?
- begins and “ends” with the World Wars
- same timeline as British Modernism
- fragmentation: disorder and chaos
- cynicism
- art gives unity that doesn’t otherwise exist
- Faulkner, Hemingway, Freudian ideas
What ended the seclusion of the frontier?
The Transcontinental Railroad
How did stereotypes of African Americans change in the Reconstruction Era?
Went from a docile image to suddenly being dangerous to whites
What is Plantation Tradition?
The portrayal of plantation life as an idealized “happy family.” Introduced the idea that the Civil War ruined the Souther’s “peaceful way of life.”
What was the New Woman?
Women wanted to be able to have education and the freedom to make more informed choices, but they were often mocked for it
What works did Mark Twain write?
“The War Prayer,” “The Man That Corrupted Haddleyburg,” and “As Regards Patriotism.”
Describe “The War Prayer.”
- never specifies a specific war–>generally applicable
- story isn’t character based, but focuses on group mentality
- portrays a very Old Testament God
- the people blow him off because they don’t like what he has to say
Describe “As Regards Patriotism.”
There’s a distinction between thoughtless patriotism and thoughtful patriotism. You need to be thoughtful and actually participate for democracy to work.
Describe “The Man That Corrupted Haddleyburg.”
-Twain is skeptical of people being too sure of themselves
What works did we read that were written by William Dean Howells?
- “The Editor’s Study”
- “Editha”
What are the Five Principles of Realism?
1) character more important than plot
2) commonplace material
3) common-sense morality
4) plausible
5) realism appropriate for democracy
What is the metaphor of the Grasshopper about in “The Editor’s Study?”
The grasshopper encourages writers to write about what they know–realism is better than interpretation.
Is ideal good or bad?
Bad.
Describe “Editha.”
- both characters shoulder blame
- very didactic (wanted to help people think through their problems)
- like in “The War Prayer” she doesn’t learn her lesson; dismisses George’s mother’s comments as nonsense
- Editha has overblown Romantic views without much life experience
- George was originally against the war
What did Ambrose Bierce write and describe it?
“Chickamauga”
What did Joel Chandler Harris write?
“Uncle Remus: The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story”
Why is Harris’s work considered racist?
- cultural appropriation
- the dialects made black characters look ignorant
What works did Charles Waddell Chesnutt write?
“What Is a White Man,” “Goopherd Grapevine,” and “The Wife of His Youth.”
Who wrote “The New England Nun?”
Freeman
What works of Kate Chopin did we read?
“Desiree’s Baby” and “Story of an Hour.”
Who coined the term the new woman?
Henry James
Who were the women who were most involved in the New Woman movement?
Well-to-do white women who were seeking new alternatives (working class women were already working).
What work did we read by Edith Wharton?
“The Other Two”
What works did we read by Henry James?
“Daisy Miller: A Study”
What works did we read by Stephen Crane?
“The Open Boat,” “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky,” and the poem.
What types of characters were in Plantation Traditions?
Usually the story is told by an ex-slave who reminisces fondly about slave times and kind masters.
Which authors wrote in the Plantation Tradition?
Thomas Nelson Page and Thomas Dixon
What was the theory of composition for Plantation Traditions?
Plot-based
What was the dialogue/narration style of Plantation Traditions?
Frame stories, dialect usage for ex-slaves
What was the purpose of Plantation Tradition?
To create nostalgia for the slave age.
Who were the authors of realism?
Twain, Howells, James, and Wharton
What is the setting in realism?
Remembered past, present; drawing rooms
What is the theory of composition for realism/regionalism?
Organic–out of character
What was the dialogue/narration style in realism?
Accessible, resembles actual speech/dialects
What was the purpose of realism/regionalism?
Mimetic, didactic (intended to teach)
What is the psychology of realism?
Real world, everyday motivations and problems; stream of consciousness
Which authors wrote naturalism?
Bierce, Crane, and Twain
What was the setting in naturalism?
The city or rough nature conditions–bad
What was the theory of composition for naturalism?
Out of design (plot is more important than character development)
What is the dialogue/narration style for naturalism?
Vulgarity, harsh language, dialect
What were the philosophical underpinnings of naturalism?
Determinism (social Darwinism); characters may have illusion of free well
What is the purpose of naturalism?
Didactic, class awareness
What is the psychology of naturalism?
Frequently absent, though may use stream-of-consciousness to show character’s thoughts in extreme situations
When did the New Woman come about?
During the Progressive Era
Describe “The Man Who Corrupted Haddleyburg.”
A man comes into a town that was supposed to be the most humble and manages to corrupt every single one of them.
