The Emergence of Realism and Naturalism in American Writing
Realism most often refers to the trend in certain works of 19th century French literature extending to early 20th century British and French authors towards depictions of contemporary life and society "as they are"; whereas the naturalist genre used detailed realism to depict social conditions, heredity and environment.
Influenced and inspired by their European counterparts, American writers strived to be different in the way these tendencies were applied for this transformation in American writing was initially the War of Secession.
At this crucial time the nation was complex and the literature of the time reflected it and these successive movements later paved the way to Modernism in poetry during WWI radically changing fiction and style in American writing during the final decades of the late19th century.
This war was essentially fought to maintain the Union as a whole and ended four years later by the surrender of the Southern slave owning states and the assassination of Lincoln.
The growing economic and political impact after the conflict led to social and cultural estrangement between the North and the South.
The South saw slavery as essential and important for its economic growth and survival, while the North was for the abolitionist cause and consequently there was a breach in the writings.
There was also a relative absence of literary expression as far as the conflict was concerned for major writers like Mark Twain, Henry James and even Stephen Crane were never directly or personally involved.
Reconciliation for this fragile union was crucial and people were encouraged to conquer the wild west to divert attention from the wounds caused by the war leading to a lust for gold and land sustained by the philosophy of the "Manifest Destiny" convincing people of a Divine right to subjugate the people and their lands.
With the end of the Civil War and its peacetime discourse people's interest in scientific advance grew rapidly with important discoveries like the electricity, the telephone, the light bulb and the phonograph.
The advent of industrialization and technology that played a significant role to mechanize the war now favored the energy for Reconstruction leading to mass urbanization with the skyline pushing higher and higher.
Farmers on the other hand found themselves striving against the "money interests" of the East with the so-called "robber-barons" thus changing the country from a small agricultural colony to a huge industrial nation that led to an alienation between people.
These post-bellum years saw the fundamental transformation of the North where business exploded giving it prestige and political domination while industrial leaders gained important experience in the management of men and machines.
These powerful new establishments already reflected the significance of an age committing itself to utilitarianism, and mechanism, secularism and urbanism.
Furthermore the country found itself amidst a sudden demographic transformation with the surge of immigrants from Asia and Eastern Europe leading to overcrowded housing and insanitation while low pay and difficult working conditions led to strikes and labor unions grew.
This divided the nation in two contrary images of itself - one as an ever moving westward pioneer land of nature and big space and the other an urban nation where immigrants toiled and sweated in huge factories.
Influenced and inspired by their European counterparts, American writers strived to be different in the way these tendencies were applied for this transformation in American writing was initially the War of Secession.
At this crucial time the nation was complex and the literature of the time reflected it and these successive movements later paved the way to Modernism in poetry during WWI radically changing fiction and style in American writing during the final decades of the late19th century.
This war was essentially fought to maintain the Union as a whole and ended four years later by the surrender of the Southern slave owning states and the assassination of Lincoln.
The growing economic and political impact after the conflict led to social and cultural estrangement between the North and the South.
The South saw slavery as essential and important for its economic growth and survival, while the North was for the abolitionist cause and consequently there was a breach in the writings.
There was also a relative absence of literary expression as far as the conflict was concerned for major writers like Mark Twain, Henry James and even Stephen Crane were never directly or personally involved.
Reconciliation for this fragile union was crucial and people were encouraged to conquer the wild west to divert attention from the wounds caused by the war leading to a lust for gold and land sustained by the philosophy of the "Manifest Destiny" convincing people of a Divine right to subjugate the people and their lands.
With the end of the Civil War and its peacetime discourse people's interest in scientific advance grew rapidly with important discoveries like the electricity, the telephone, the light bulb and the phonograph.
The advent of industrialization and technology that played a significant role to mechanize the war now favored the energy for Reconstruction leading to mass urbanization with the skyline pushing higher and higher.
Farmers on the other hand found themselves striving against the "money interests" of the East with the so-called "robber-barons" thus changing the country from a small agricultural colony to a huge industrial nation that led to an alienation between people.
These post-bellum years saw the fundamental transformation of the North where business exploded giving it prestige and political domination while industrial leaders gained important experience in the management of men and machines.
These powerful new establishments already reflected the significance of an age committing itself to utilitarianism, and mechanism, secularism and urbanism.
Furthermore the country found itself amidst a sudden demographic transformation with the surge of immigrants from Asia and Eastern Europe leading to overcrowded housing and insanitation while low pay and difficult working conditions led to strikes and labor unions grew.
This divided the nation in two contrary images of itself - one as an ever moving westward pioneer land of nature and big space and the other an urban nation where immigrants toiled and sweated in huge factories.
Source...