Realism Flashcards
Define American Realism
American Realism is an attempt to represent everyday people and situations accurately without embellishment.
Where do the concepts from the American Realism movement come from
France in the 1800s
What movement does the literary time period follow
Transcendentalism
What are 5 of the six characteristics of realism
- Characters are more important than the plot. 2. Events are usually plausible. 3. objectivity is very important. 4. Diction is natural and common. 5. Concentration is on the middle class
Was a civil war soldier
Ambrose Bierce
Born Smauel Langhorn Clemons
Mark Twain
Is best known for Portrait of a Lady
Henry James
Disappeared in Mexico
Ambrose Bierce
Wrote “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavarous County”
Mark Twain
Wrote “The Ambassador”
Henry James
Was cited for bravery as a soldier 15 times
Ambrose Bierce
Worked as a steamboat captain
Mark Twain
“Life on the Mississippi” was written by whom
Mark Twain
Summarize the plot for the story in 3 sentences or less
The main character “Mark Twain” is learning to be a steamboat captain. He needs to learn how to read the river and steer the ship. He realizes that being a steamboat captain not a simple task and make mistakes;such as thinking that Mr. W needs help steering
What Assumptions does Twain make that is completely wrong when he stays awake all night?
That Mr. W is not prepared or trained enough to steer the ship without help at night.
What was the extended metaphor for steering a ship
Reading a book
What does Bierce use to establish his setting
imagery
How is this a true story of the Realism movement?
it focuses on the characters. Centered around Farquhar in the movement
Where does Bierce find his knowledge about war?
he was a Civil War soldier
Describe the three parts of the story.
I. It’s the rising action and contains the most truths. II. The exposition given in a flashback. (imagery action) III. The most words and covers the shortest amount of time
What is unique about the third section
It contains the most words and the most details with the shortest amount of plot
What is unique about the third section?
It has the most words and the most details.
Who are the two most influential writers of the American Realism movement?
Henry James and Mark Twain
What is the Point of View?
the vantage point at which a story is told
What is Omniscient POV?
where the narrator knows all the thoughts, actions, and feelings of all characters.
What is Objective POV?
the writer tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the story’s action and dialogue.
Foreshadowing
The author gives clues about what is going to happen later one in the story
What is a Flashback?
an interruption in the action of a plot to tell what happened at an earlier time
What is Foreshadowing?
the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot
How is this a true story of the Realism movement
The story focused on the character rather than the plot Most of the story focuses on Farquar’s life and visions in flashbacks rather than the actual plot. It also did not romanticize war like many stories in this time period.
Where does Bierce find his knowledge about war?
His own experience. He was a Civil War soldier that saw action at Shiloh and Chickamauga.
What are some of the clues to what is truly happening to Farquar
The tree lined road, congested eyes, and swollen tongue.
Describe the three parts of the story
Section 1. Rising action and the section that contains the most action. 2. The exposition in a flashback. 3. Most words but covers the shortest amount of time.
Point of view
The vantage point from which a story is written or told.
Omniscient Point of View
a method of story telling in which the narrator knows the thoughts and feeling of all the characters.
Objective POV
the writer tells what happens without stating more than the story’s action and dialogue
Third person limited
the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character
flashback
The author gives clues about what is going to happen later one in the story
