Realism Flashcards
Gilded age
The time between the civil war and world war 1
Monopolistic age
The age of people becoming rich and owning cities. Examples are Rockefeller, Morgan, jay Gould.
Xenophobia
The fear of the new(forgiveness)
Social issues during realism
Women’s rights, blacks rights, pretty much just civil rights in general.
Realism definition.
An artistic and literary movement which took place 1865-1914. It is an attempt to portray life as it really is.
Key features of realism
Focus on the ordinary and commonplace
Character development is paramount to plot
Analytic observation-objective and open to interpretation.
A vehicle for social argument-about social issues.
Regionalism
A sub movement of realism specifically about region specific characteristics
Dialect.
Words spelled like they sound but incorrectly
Ex
Jim: “We’s safe, Huck, we’s safe! Jump up and crack yo’ heels. Dat’s de good ole Cairo at las’, I jis knows it.”
Huck: “I’ll take the canoe and go see, Jim. It mightn’t be, you know.”
Naturalism
An intensified version of realism which explores human relationships with our environment
Determinism
The idea that outer lives are controlled by external forces
Satire
Cynical humor. Making fun of something that uses humor to point out or criticize human weakness.
Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist. He wrote the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and compiled a satirical lexicon, The Devil’s Dictionary.
Stephen crane
Stephen Crane was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism. Wrote “an open boat”
Mark “twine”
Was a realist who’s most notable works are Tom Sawyer and huckleberry fin… We didn’t read those though. We read his satire on humans.
Kate Chopin
Kate Chopin, was a U.S. author of short stories and novels. She is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of the feminist authors of the 20th century. The story of an hour
Jack London
John Griffith “Jack” London was an American novelist, journalist, and social activist. He was OBSESSED with Alaska and wrote “to build a fire” and “the law of life”
Individual society
Individuals as representative groups
War/industrialism are not individualistic
We are all in the same boat.
American Dream
Focus on what is in front of you and is real
Civil war/reconstruction/ -isms
Dream is not equitable
Nature
Nature doesn’t care about you
You “nature, I need help.” nature “frankly my dear, I don’t give a Damn.”
Deterministic , there is no free will (illuminati?)
Big ideas
- God doesn’t care
- unified creation does not exist
- Skepticism about universal truths
- the realists are a depressed bunch
What is a phobia of people with chainsaws called?
Common sense…
If I ate myself would I become twice as big or disappear completely?
… I know one way to find out….
How did the civil war Impact realism?
There were more American deaths than any other war.
Reminds people that life is finite,
Started realism
