Realism
1865 - 1900
Realism as a Literary Movement
Realism has always existed in literature - settings, characters, etc.
American Realism developed in response to
● Darwinism - an attack on Biblical Christianity
● Industrialism - Urban Slums and Labor Unrest
● Trauma of the Civil War
Romantic writing suddenly seemed sentimental and irrelevant.
Characteristics of Realism
Described life truthfully - as it really is - even the worst of it.
Sought to explain human behavior objectively.
Sought to portray everyday life objectively with faithfulness to detail.
Two Sub-genres of Realism
Regionalism - set work in a specific region of the country and accurately portrays
that region’s particular traits: dialect, customs, attitudes, traditions, and
topography. We experience local color through the literature.
Naturalism - believed that humans are controlled by forces outside themselves
(environment, heredity, mere chance). This sub-genre tends to feel
pessimistic and grim.
Mark Twain & Huck Finn
About Mark Twain
Mark Twain is a pseudonym (or pen name) for Samuel Langhorne Clemens
Spent time as a steamboat pilot
“Mark twain!” means water two fathoms (twelve feet) deep
Wrote prolifically and his many novels sold well - but still went bankrupt
Rescued by a millionaire friend; went on tour (America & the world) to pay off debt
Personal Tragedies led to his rejection of God
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Written over 8 years
Created much controversy then - and it continues today!
Often a banned book. Today it is often banned because of “racial slurs” which
were not offensive at the time it was written and published.
TRUTH: Huck Finn as a novel is ANTI-RACIST.
Twain uses the novel to analyze society - especially the evil of slavery
As you read, focus on:
1. the novel as an example of Regionalism
2. the contrast between life on the river and life on shore
3. the attack on racism through Twain’s narrator
4. Huck’s dilemma / crisis of conscience
5. the attack on Romanticism
