Realism+-+3rd

**Stephen Crane **


 **ABOUT ME**  You probably have not heard of me; I died at the age of 27 for neglecting my health. I struggled throughout my life, and I stood on street corners selling one of my most read novels of today, //Maggie: Girl of the Streets.// I was recognized and respected by authors such as H.G. Wells and William Dean Howells, and one has to wonder if I hadn't died such an early death if I would be more well-known today. I enjoy using different dialects in my writing, and I often employ off-beat and unique descriptions in describing scenes and people. I wrote some children's books along with poetry. You could say the first few paragraphs of my short story, "The Open Boat" epitomizes my writing style:

//"NONE of them knew the color of the sky. Their eyes glanced level, and were fastened upon the waves that swept toward them. These waves were of the hue of slate, save for the tops, which were of foaming white, and all of the men knew the colors of the sea. The horizon narrowed and widened, and dipped and rose, and at all times its edge was jagged with waves that seemed thrust up in points like rocks.//

//Many a man ought to have a bath-tub larger than the boat which here rode upon the sea. These waves were most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall, and each froth-top was a problem in small boat navigation."//

I would say I am a passionate realist and know a lot about this literary period considering the fact that I was an emerging writer during the time, and I will be able to inform you of the basics and more.



**WHAT IS REALISM?**

As a realist writer, I can say that the end of the War Between the States had a tremendous influence on the writing of this era. Population growth was exponential and literacy increased, as did many's interest in reading and understanding the world. The public became intrigued by science and knowledge. This gave growth to the very concept of realism itself. While Romanticism is concerned with "human goodness" and "following one's heart," realism is more about the "real world." The idealism of Romanticism was replaced with the truth of realism. Still, I wouldn't say realists are the cold pessimists they appear to be. To quote myself, **"The realist or veritist is really an optimist, a dreamer. He sees life in terms of what it might be, as well as in terms of what it is; but he writes of what is, and, at his best, suggests what is to be."** We depict the world as it is and often give voice to the middle class, which was expanding during this period, as well as the urban poor. We often are the muckrackers of literature, exposing corruption by describing the life of a dirty factory kid. As realist writers, we write honestly, stating the obvious about life itself. We can help to bring attention to the darkest of conditions present in our world or tell a simple tale about a farm boy. There is no false optimism or ridiculous hidden meanings. We often write with rich dialect and shy away from the floweriness of romanticism, although I personally am known for my vivid and unique descriptions. We connect with our audience more easily than romanticist writers do. We write about the everday man's struggle and you can generally catch a touch of nostalgia for the past in our works. [|Read more]


 * HISTORICAL BACKGROUND **

In a world full of change, realist writing was a source of comfort for many Americans. The Civil War ended in 1865, giving rise to a new world where there were no slaves but there were many Jim Crow laws. The end of slavery marked the realization of democracy, and this theme is ever present in realist writings. America was going through an industrial revolution, and migration to overcrowded cities increased. Industrialization was thought to lead to an easier, better life. In this fast-paced world, romanticism was out of place while the believable aspect of realism appealed to many. Inventions included the dishwasher, the sewing machine, and rayon, further reinforcing the "convenience" industrialization was supposed to provide. [|More inventions]Realists depicted industrialized as it truly was, and horrid labor conditions were not off-limit topics. During this time, America also participated in a series of skirmishes with Indians, called the Indian Wars. You can see this Western influence in various realist writings, such as in my work //The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky.//




 * OTHER INFLUENTIAL WRITERS **

Other influential realist writers besides myself include Mark Twain and Horatio Alger, Jr. Alger focuses the content of his work on young impoverished children while Mark Twain is famous for his humor and most notably //The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.// William Dean Howells also is responsible for raising the popularity of realism in the United States. Each of these writers, along with many others, were vital to the growth of realism.

Mark Twain__** Mark Twain is one of the most well-known realists. Though there are many different opinions of the man, he is seen by many as being good-humored but somewhat cynical at the same time. His most famous pieces include: //The Adventures of Tom Sawyer//, //The Prince and the Pauper// , //Life on the Mississippi//, //Adventures of Huckleberry Finn//, and //A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.// Twain became a key part in helping to spread realism and he was one of those responsible for inflating its popularity in American literature. As is true of many realists, he wrote about the everyday man. His most famous works, //The Adventures of Tom Sawyer// and //Adventures of Huckleberry Finn// chronicle the lives of two young middle to lower class boys. Twain based these characters loosely off of himself and lightly lamented the passing of an era with these two literary classics, connecting instantly with his audience. Ironically, his financial downfall was due in part to bad investments into new inventions and supposedly time saving devices, although later through some luck and profitable lectures he regained his financial stability. [|Read more on Twain]  He no doubtedly contributed greatly to the realist side of the literary war between realism and romanticism. H. L. Mencken wrote once that, "...he was the true father of our national literature, the first genuinely American artist of the blood royal." He was a ferocious supporter of civil rights for African Americans and Native Americans, and wrote many essays and articles on this cause, influencing the American public with his beliefs.
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Horatio Alger, Jr__** Alger is another famous realist. Initially, he wrote books targeted towards the younger generations; however, later, his audience began to change. He is famous for writing books based on his interviews with younger males living in The Newsboy's Lodging House, a place for runaways. His writing helped to bring attention to the harsh conditions that were faced by many youngsters of this time. Some of his works are: Ragged Dick, //Fame and Fortune//, //Mark the Match Boy//, //Sink or Swim//, //Ben the Luggage Boy//, and //Paul the Peddler//. Alger often speaks of perseverance and how it, along with honesty and diligence in work, can bring one to success. Alger himself is a great example of this due to the fact that he rose to fame even though initially in life, he was horribly impoverished. He, along with myself, is another realist to bring the genre of realism to thousands of people. He also helps to bring inspiration to many people, especially to the young boys working to build a better life. He describes the new American, the American working in decrepit conditions for meager amounts of money. Alger, as well as the other realists of my time, all worked to bring a change in literature, which is that it should be a true depiction of life as it is. [|Read more]
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**__ William Dean Howells__** Howells was perhaps the most influential of all of the realists, greatly due to the fact that he was the main pioneer in bringing realism over to America. He is also very famous for inciting the "Realism War, " a debate between the supporters of romanticism and those who supported realism. His ignition of this "war" helped to bring about drastic changes within literature itself. For the first time in history, the belief that literature was not strictly romanticism came into being. Howells helped to bring the idea that literature could be a representation of how life was, in reality versus the flowery representations previously given. Howells is best known for //Modern Instance, The Rise of Silas Lapham, A Hazard of New Fortunes, Dr. Breen's Practice, and April Hopes.// He was a passionate realist and criticized the loftiness of romanticism, saying, "I hope the time is coming when not only the artist, but the common, average man, who always "has the standard of the arts in his power," will have also the courage to apply it, and will reject the ideal grasshopper wherever he finds it, in science, in literature, in art, because it is not "simple, natural, and honest," because it is not like a real grasshopper. But I will own that I think the time is yet far off, and that the people who have been brought up on the ideal grasshopper, the heroic grasshopper, the impassioned grasshopper, the self-devoted, adventureful, good old romantic card-board grasshopper, must die out before the simple, honest, and natural grasshopper can have a fair field." He asked readers to ask one question when reading a work of literature to determine its value: Is it true? He is almost snobbish in his book //Criticism and Fiction,// stating that he finds it amusing to meet "one of them... some sweet elderly lady or excellegnt gentleman... and to witness the confidence with which they preach their favorite authors asall the law and the prophets... they are quite ignorant." He was a founder of the NAACP and supported woman's rights, spreading his influence throughout America. He also was adamant in his belief that seven anarchists accused of a bombing were not guilty, and this may have contributed to the governor pardoning them. This is significant because he was alone in this belief and was criticized for sticking up for the accused bombers. Nevertheless, he was very popular and //Modern Instance// without a doubt is one of the defining pieces of realism in literature. [|More of Howell]


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