This analysis seems to be written in the style of Whitman himself meaning that there is no discernible style preference. Like many of Whitman's poems, it was uncomfortably lengthy. It was also contradictory, though that mainly resulted from pointing out all the contradictions of Whitman in his various poems. Bauerlein then went on to explain how all these contradictions were just a part of Whitman searching out his idea of Self. I did appreciate all the quotes from the poem. They helped me to understand the points that the author was making. Especially considering that I have not read the poem "Song of Myself" and do not intend to anytime soon. I especially liked the quote "But that before all my arrogant poems the real Me stands yet untouch'd, untold, altogether unreach'd, Withdrawn far, mocking me with mock-congratulatory signs and bows" (Bauerlein). This means that even though Whitman has spent all this time writing about his Self, he has not succeeded in adequately exploring or explaining it. This makes me like him a little bit better because Bauerlein explains the quote as Whitman calling his own poems arrogant. They try to explain Whitman's Self, but fail despite all their grand words. The fact that Whitman was able to acknowledge this makes me have more respect for him as a poet.
This article also talks about how Whitman's Self is not really authentic. He manipulated how others viewed him, so that they would see him as "the good, gray poet" (Bauerlein). I found it interesting that he even asked biographers to send him copies of their manuscripts so that he could tweak them the way he wanted. While I can see how people might want to make sure things were accurate, I think it is pretty weird and slightly inappropriate for Whitman to change things just so others will see a different version of his Self. This analysis helped me to understand Whitman a bit better, but also made me question some of his motives.
Bauerlein, Mark. "Whitman's Language of the Self." American Imago 44, no. 2 (Summer 1987). Quoted as "Whitman's Language of the Self" in Bloom, Harold, ed. Song of Myself, Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2002. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 3 March 2011. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=MCISOM004&SingleRecord=True.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Journal #36: Food Imagery
I do not necessarily have a favorite meal. I have lots of foods that I really like to eat, but not any one favorite combination. Some foods that I really like are chicken coleslaw wraps, red velvet cake, and grape Crush. I know grape Crush is not, in fact a food, but it's one of my favorite sodas, so it is included. If I had all of these foods in a meal, I think it would be as close to a favorite as I have. I guess I'll start my description with the chicken coleslaw wraps. My dad found this recipe a while ago. He breads chicken strips in a special way until they are a nice golden-brown. When I add the chicken to the coleslaw and wrap it up in a tortilla, it results in one of my favorite textures for foods. The chicken is hot and spicy and the coleslaw is sweet and cold. It's a pretty indescribable feeling. I also like how the colors look together. The coleslaw's got the standard green and a bit of orange because my dad makes it with mango for some reason. And the chicken and tortilla give the food a few shades of brown. If I had red velvet cake with it, I would have the deep maroon of the cake to go with all the other colors. Also, I love red velvet cake because, if you make it right, it actually feels like you're eating velvet. The grape crush would complete my rainbow of a meal by throwing purple into the fray. I also love the way grape Crush smells. Like most grape products, it doesn't actually smell like grapes, but I still love it anyway. And it fizzes more often than other sodas, and I like to listen to sodas fizz. This a really randomly put together meal, but it includes lots of color and texture and nice smells, all of which I am draw to like a raccoon is drawn to shiny things. Obviously, they also taste good, otherwise this wouldn't be my almost-favorite meal.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Journal #35: To be a War Reporter
Personally, I think it would suck to be a reporter that was on the front lines with the troops. It would also suck to be the soldiers that are being observed. I still think it would be worse to be the reporter though. At least the soldiers have had combat training and know slightly better than the reporters how to handle themselves. Then again, this journal topic is not very realistic because reporters are not often "in the trenches" with the troops. That image just brings to my mind the tactics of WWI, with it's almost pointless trench warfare. I don't mean any disrespect for the troops with this journal because I have a lot of respect for the troops. I just think war is stupid. At the very least, we should go back to the tactics of a previous era and fight all our wars with swords and bows and arrows and the like. It just seems more honorable to me to take someone down in hand to hand combat than sneaking around dropping bombs on people. Also, it would be healthier for the environment.
It would also suck to be a war reporter because you would not get to report anything you wanted. Even if your network approved your story, if it was really big, the government might censor it. I am not trying to sound like a conspiracy theorist or anti-government because I am not those things. I am just saying that stuff like that happens probably everyday, only we don't know because we trust the government to run our lives. Sometimes it is a necessary matter of national security. But it would still bother me if I were a war reporter. Not to mention the fact that I really don't think I would like to be right in the middle of a war. I really don't think anyone would like that or really want to be there. I also feel bad for the reporters because they have to leave their home and go to a dangerous place.
The whole time I've been typing this blog I've been thinking about the character Hannah from the TV show Bones. She's a war reporter who was covering the war in Afghanistan. She was really cool and actually seemed to like her job, which I find kind of surprising. I guess different jobs just require different people.
It would also suck to be a war reporter because you would not get to report anything you wanted. Even if your network approved your story, if it was really big, the government might censor it. I am not trying to sound like a conspiracy theorist or anti-government because I am not those things. I am just saying that stuff like that happens probably everyday, only we don't know because we trust the government to run our lives. Sometimes it is a necessary matter of national security. But it would still bother me if I were a war reporter. Not to mention the fact that I really don't think I would like to be right in the middle of a war. I really don't think anyone would like that or really want to be there. I also feel bad for the reporters because they have to leave their home and go to a dangerous place.
The whole time I've been typing this blog I've been thinking about the character Hannah from the TV show Bones. She's a war reporter who was covering the war in Afghanistan. She was really cool and actually seemed to like her job, which I find kind of surprising. I guess different jobs just require different people.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
"To Build a Fire"
Jack London's short story "To Build a Fire" is primarily a Naturalism work. It shows a fine example of Darwin's natural selection theories. "To Build a Fire" is about a man who is traveling on the Yukon Trail. He is trying to get back to the boys at his camp by six in the evening. It seems like he might accomplish this, but then things start going wrong. This is where the "survival of the fittest" comes in. The man has a dog with him. The dog can sense that it is much colder than is safe to be out alone in. The man, however, like an idiot, still believes that it is no lower than fifty below. Turns out, it is seventy five degrees below zero. It takes the man a ridiculous amount of time to figure this out. The cold temperature is just the first in a long string of misfortunes to befall the man. The next thing he does wrong is fall through a thin patch of ice into water up to his knees. He knows that in order to keep his feet from freezing, he needs a fire. Like a newbie, he builds his fire wrong, and it goes out. He cannot get another one started, so he starts to run. He eventually gets too tired and just lies down and dies. Throughout all this, the dog is kept warm by natural means and just runs off into the night when it senses that the man is dead. The dog proved to be the fittest in this case.
An exhaustive amount of detail is put into describing what exactly is happening to the man as he goes along on his journey. A great deal of attention is also spent on the fact that it is cold. "There was no mistake about it, it was cold." (London 408). This attention to detail, particularly to nature, is indicative of Realism. The protagonist of "To Build a Fire" is also a standard issue Realism hero. He seems to be an ordinary man who gets put into a difficult situation. Government and religion do not have anything to do with this story. Nature plays a large role, as stated earlier. It is the antagonist in this case giving us the man vs. nature conflict that was so common to Naturalism. Ultimately, nature wins, but that really is not important to the whole Naturalism thing.
Human nature is not addressed very much in "To Build a Fire". The man and the dog's basic survival instincts are there, but other than that, human nature is not explored in any depth. There is also the basic desire to beat the odds that is present in the man's determination to make it to camp. The American Dream is also irrelevant to this story. Society as a whole is also missing from this story, but that makes sense considering that the man is in the middle of nowhere in weather that no smart man would be out in. There is no civilization for miles, so no form of society is present.
London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 603-614. Print.
An exhaustive amount of detail is put into describing what exactly is happening to the man as he goes along on his journey. A great deal of attention is also spent on the fact that it is cold. "There was no mistake about it, it was cold." (London 408). This attention to detail, particularly to nature, is indicative of Realism. The protagonist of "To Build a Fire" is also a standard issue Realism hero. He seems to be an ordinary man who gets put into a difficult situation. Government and religion do not have anything to do with this story. Nature plays a large role, as stated earlier. It is the antagonist in this case giving us the man vs. nature conflict that was so common to Naturalism. Ultimately, nature wins, but that really is not important to the whole Naturalism thing.
Human nature is not addressed very much in "To Build a Fire". The man and the dog's basic survival instincts are there, but other than that, human nature is not explored in any depth. There is also the basic desire to beat the odds that is present in the man's determination to make it to camp. The American Dream is also irrelevant to this story. Society as a whole is also missing from this story, but that makes sense considering that the man is in the middle of nowhere in weather that no smart man would be out in. There is no civilization for miles, so no form of society is present.
London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 603-614. Print.
Edwin Arlington Robinson
"Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy" are both poems about people wanting what they can't have. In this way, both poems show characteristics of Naturalism. "Richard Cory" is about a man who is apparently named Richard Cory. He has the best of everything. When he walks through town, "We people on the pavement looked at him..." (Robinson "Richard Cory" 575). He seemed to have the perfect life, therefore everyone was shocked when "Richard Cory, one calm summer night, went home and put a bullet in his head." (Robinson "Richard Cory" 575). This shows that even if a person appears to have it all, they can still be horribly depressed. This poem also shows Realism in the way that events like this, sadly, happen all the time. Someone will be at the peak of their life then suddenly end it for no discernible reason. Society plays a larger part in this poem than in many other of the Realism works so far. Society had this perfect image of Richard Cory, which may have contributed to his suicide. He probably grew tired of trying to live up to everyone's expectations of him. There must have been a lot of pressure on him to be perfect all the time. The American Dream is also present. Richard Cory seems to have obtained that elusive American Dream and then some. Apparently it was too much. Or maybe he realized that his life was as good as it was going to get and could not stand the thought. Either way, it seems almost selfish for him to just throw it away like that.
Minivier Cheevy is a man who is not content to chase after the American Dream. His dreams are more grand, filled with epic adventures and amazing people. He was a man hwo was born too late in the world. Society's view of Miniver Cheevy is almost the complete opposite of its view of Richard Cory. They hold Richard Cory in the highest esteem, while they look down upon Miniver Cheevy for his foolish dreams. He is more of a typical Realism hero than Richard Cory. Miniver Cheevy could be any man who wants more from life. Naturalism is shown in "Miniver Cheevy" because it briefly mentions fate. "Mininver coughed, and called it fate, and kept on drinking." (Robinson "Miniver Cheevy" 576).
Again, government and religion play no part in these poems. Nature is also not important here. The writing style shows Realism qualities: it is simple, flows nicely, and does not tend toward the excess of flowery words. Details are common, such as in "Miniver Cheevy": "Miniver cursed the commonplace and eyed a khaki suit with loathing; he missed the medieval grace of iron clothing." (Robinson "Miniver Cheevy" 576).
I liked both these poems, though "Richard Cory" was my favorite of the two. It had the kind of unexpected ending that showed Realism's roots in Romanticism. These poems were probably derived from those of the Dark Romantics who also had such twist endings in their works.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Miniver Cheevy." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 576. Print.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 575. Print.
Minivier Cheevy is a man who is not content to chase after the American Dream. His dreams are more grand, filled with epic adventures and amazing people. He was a man hwo was born too late in the world. Society's view of Miniver Cheevy is almost the complete opposite of its view of Richard Cory. They hold Richard Cory in the highest esteem, while they look down upon Miniver Cheevy for his foolish dreams. He is more of a typical Realism hero than Richard Cory. Miniver Cheevy could be any man who wants more from life. Naturalism is shown in "Miniver Cheevy" because it briefly mentions fate. "Mininver coughed, and called it fate, and kept on drinking." (Robinson "Miniver Cheevy" 576).
Again, government and religion play no part in these poems. Nature is also not important here. The writing style shows Realism qualities: it is simple, flows nicely, and does not tend toward the excess of flowery words. Details are common, such as in "Miniver Cheevy": "Miniver cursed the commonplace and eyed a khaki suit with loathing; he missed the medieval grace of iron clothing." (Robinson "Miniver Cheevy" 576).
I liked both these poems, though "Richard Cory" was my favorite of the two. It had the kind of unexpected ending that showed Realism's roots in Romanticism. These poems were probably derived from those of the Dark Romantics who also had such twist endings in their works.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Miniver Cheevy." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 576. Print.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 575. Print.
Paul Laurence Dunbar
"Douglass" and "We Wear the Mask" are two short poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Both deal with sad and desperate emotions, and they both have a psychological overtone that speaks of Naturalism. "Douglass" is a plea to the great speaker and civil rights leader Frederick Douglass. Dunbar is lamenting at the way the world is at that time. He says that he wants Frederick Douglass, or someone like Frederick Douglass, to come and inspire the world to be better again (Dunbar "Douglass" 570). "We Wear the Mask" is about how everyone wears a metaphorical mask to hide their emotions. It says that even though the mask may be cheery, the person underneath is most likely very depressed or in pain. These poems both have a feel like they were written for an African American audience, seeing as how Frederick Douglass was African American, and the Africans often had to hide their true suffering for the benefit of others. Despite this, I feel that both poems could be applied to a much broader audience.
The only Naturalism quality these poems possess is that they are both narrated by a person who is apparently African American, making them a lower class person in a horrible situation. Regionalism is not in here at all, seeing as how a specific region is not mention, nor is that region described in detail. Realism is not a factor here either. Some characteristics could be found in a roundabout way, but they would be so insignificant to the overall tone of the poem.
Nature is not mentioned at all in either of these poems, nor is government. Religion is only mentioned briefly when in "We Wear the Mask" Dunbar writes, "We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries to thee from tortured souls arise." (Dunbar "We" 571). That is it. "Douglass" does not have any mention of religion at all. Nature is not mentioned in both poems either. Human nature is present in the way that humans are not the best at letting people close to them. This is present in "We Wear the Mask" to some degree.
Both poems feature a simple rhyme scheme and simple language. As well as being a major characteristic of Realism literature, it makes the poems easy to understand. This would have been important because at the time, African Americans were still not receiving a fair education. These poems don't require much reading between the lines, so it could have appealed to a broader audience when it was written. There is figurative language in here, obviously, because these are poems. Poems tend to ave figurative language. My favorite example is the comparison of the plight of the Negroes to a storm at sea in these lines from "Douglass": "Not ended then, the passionate ebb and flow, the awful tide that battled to and fro; we ride amide a tempest of dispraise." (Dunbar "Douglass" 570). I thought that was a good metaphor for the situation, especially when Dunbar went on to compare Frederick Douglass to the captain that guides the ship toward calm waters.
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "Douglass." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 570.
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "We Wear the Mask." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 571.
The only Naturalism quality these poems possess is that they are both narrated by a person who is apparently African American, making them a lower class person in a horrible situation. Regionalism is not in here at all, seeing as how a specific region is not mention, nor is that region described in detail. Realism is not a factor here either. Some characteristics could be found in a roundabout way, but they would be so insignificant to the overall tone of the poem.
Nature is not mentioned at all in either of these poems, nor is government. Religion is only mentioned briefly when in "We Wear the Mask" Dunbar writes, "We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries to thee from tortured souls arise." (Dunbar "We" 571). That is it. "Douglass" does not have any mention of religion at all. Nature is not mentioned in both poems either. Human nature is present in the way that humans are not the best at letting people close to them. This is present in "We Wear the Mask" to some degree.
Both poems feature a simple rhyme scheme and simple language. As well as being a major characteristic of Realism literature, it makes the poems easy to understand. This would have been important because at the time, African Americans were still not receiving a fair education. These poems don't require much reading between the lines, so it could have appealed to a broader audience when it was written. There is figurative language in here, obviously, because these are poems. Poems tend to ave figurative language. My favorite example is the comparison of the plight of the Negroes to a storm at sea in these lines from "Douglass": "Not ended then, the passionate ebb and flow, the awful tide that battled to and fro; we ride amide a tempest of dispraise." (Dunbar "Douglass" 570). I thought that was a good metaphor for the situation, especially when Dunbar went on to compare Frederick Douglass to the captain that guides the ship toward calm waters.
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "Douglass." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 570.
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "We Wear the Mask." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 571.
"I Will Fight No More Forever"
"I Will Fight No More Forever" is a speech that was written by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe. Usually, the Nez Perce tribe was one of the more warlike tribes. This speech, however, is about how Chief Joseph is giving up the fighting. He says he wants to have time to look for his children and see how many he can find (Joseph 533). This is a Realism speech mainly because the events in the speech actually happened. Also, since this was a speech, it was written in the vernacular with the intent to be spoken out loud. There is not really any form of Regionalism present in this speech, nor are there any defining characteristics of Naturalism. I really do not see how speeches are supposed to be able to be classified into Realism or not. I mean, obviously if you are going to give a speech, you would be talking about realistic events. So naturally, one could come to the conclusion that all speeches would have to be at least somewhat Realistic in nature.
Religion has nothing at all to do with this speech. Government is a part of this speech to a certain degree. The American government was killing the Native Americans, which caused this whole mess that Chief Joseph was writing about in "I Will Fight No More Forever". Nature also has very little to do with this speech. The only way nature is included is when Cheif Joseph states, "It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills and have no blankets, no food." (Joseph 533). Here, nature is killing Chief Joseph because it is cold outside, and they ran to the hills where it is even colder. In this speech nature is used only in this way and is not described in detail. Human nature has more of a part in this speech than regular nature. Chief Joseph's human nature kicks in and he loses his will to fight. In this speech, he sounds like a tired old man who just wants to be with his family. Which he has every right to do. If we want to bring Naturalism into this, Chief Joseph would be an example of Social Darwinism's natural selection philosophy. Obviously, Chief Joseph was not the fittest because he and his tribe were eventually killed. Human nature is also in the background by reading into the context of the speech. People are usually greedy and do not like to share. This is evident in the Americans taking all of the Native American's land and killing them in massive numbers. This speech came about because of the American Dream at its worst. Everyone wanted their own place where they could raise their family. Unfortunately, they belived the best place to do that was out West. That meant they had to get rid of the Native Americans like Chief Joseph who stood in the way of them persuing that American Dream.
Joseph, Chief. "I Will Fight No More." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. 533. Print.
Religion has nothing at all to do with this speech. Government is a part of this speech to a certain degree. The American government was killing the Native Americans, which caused this whole mess that Chief Joseph was writing about in "I Will Fight No More Forever". Nature also has very little to do with this speech. The only way nature is included is when Cheif Joseph states, "It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills and have no blankets, no food." (Joseph 533). Here, nature is killing Chief Joseph because it is cold outside, and they ran to the hills where it is even colder. In this speech nature is used only in this way and is not described in detail. Human nature has more of a part in this speech than regular nature. Chief Joseph's human nature kicks in and he loses his will to fight. In this speech, he sounds like a tired old man who just wants to be with his family. Which he has every right to do. If we want to bring Naturalism into this, Chief Joseph would be an example of Social Darwinism's natural selection philosophy. Obviously, Chief Joseph was not the fittest because he and his tribe were eventually killed. Human nature is also in the background by reading into the context of the speech. People are usually greedy and do not like to share. This is evident in the Americans taking all of the Native American's land and killing them in massive numbers. This speech came about because of the American Dream at its worst. Everyone wanted their own place where they could raise their family. Unfortunately, they belived the best place to do that was out West. That meant they had to get rid of the Native Americans like Chief Joseph who stood in the way of them persuing that American Dream.
Joseph, Chief. "I Will Fight No More." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. 533. Print.
Spoon River Anthology
The Spoon River Anthology is a collection of poems by Edgar Lee Masters about a fictional place called Spoon River, Illinois, which is near the actual Spoon River in Illinois (Masters...1916). I did not read the whole collection, but what I did read showed strong Naturalism and Regionalism traits. I read number 226: "Archibald Higbie". This poem is about how this Archibald Higbie wants to learn the finer arts that are associated with the masters of Greece and Rome, but whenever he tries to create something like theirs it only shows his backwoods upbringing. He is really depressed about this, and curses the fact that he is from such a place.
Regionalism is shown the most here. This anthology is all about Spoon River, that, while made up, is based on a real place. The common denominator of all the nearly 250 poems is that all the people in them come from Spoon River. Though they could be very different, they all share that basic trait. The scenery is not described in this particular poem, but I am sure that it is in one of the poems somewhere down the line. In this poem, the Spoon River area is responsible for the artists' inability to learn the style of the great masters. The region takes on an almost human feel because Archibald Higbie blames all his problems on the fact that he comes from that area. "I loathed you, Spoon River. I tried to rise above you, I was ashamed of you. I despised you as the place of my nativity." (Masters 226). Here, he makes it sound like Spoon River has a will of its own. This personification of the region is a common theme in Regionalism.
I liked this poem because I could sympathize with the character. We are both from small towns, and I, like Archibald Higbie, often feel stifled by the stigma of coming from such a small town. I have been to the real life Spoon River, and it is a very rural area. If I was from such a place, I would probably feel the same as Archibald Higbie. Like Higbie, I would try everything to rise above my upbinging. In many ways, I am doing that to some extent now. Unlike me, however, Higbie seems to view his situation as unchangeable, like things were destined to be the way there are. This viewpoint is a characteristic of Naturalism. Higbie himself is also a component of Naturalism. He is an ordinary, middle-class artist. He struggles to rise out of a depressing situation. He has an unassuming background and a bleak looking future. All of these characteristics add up to make him an ideal Naturalism hero. Archibald's emotions are also what makes this a Naturalism poem. As I read, I could practically feel Archibald's frustration jumping out at me. "And what could I do, all covered over and weighted down with western soil, except aspire, and pray for another birth in the world, with all of Spoon River rooted out of my soul?" (Masters 226). This desperation is also a common theme in Naturalism works.
"Masters, Edgar Lee. 1916. Spoon River Anthology." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.bartleby.com/84/.
Masters, Edgar Lee. "226. Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters. Archibald Higbie. Monroe, Harriet, Ed. 1917. The New Poetry: An Anthology." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.bartleby.com/265/226.html.
Regionalism is shown the most here. This anthology is all about Spoon River, that, while made up, is based on a real place. The common denominator of all the nearly 250 poems is that all the people in them come from Spoon River. Though they could be very different, they all share that basic trait. The scenery is not described in this particular poem, but I am sure that it is in one of the poems somewhere down the line. In this poem, the Spoon River area is responsible for the artists' inability to learn the style of the great masters. The region takes on an almost human feel because Archibald Higbie blames all his problems on the fact that he comes from that area. "I loathed you, Spoon River. I tried to rise above you, I was ashamed of you. I despised you as the place of my nativity." (Masters 226). Here, he makes it sound like Spoon River has a will of its own. This personification of the region is a common theme in Regionalism.
I liked this poem because I could sympathize with the character. We are both from small towns, and I, like Archibald Higbie, often feel stifled by the stigma of coming from such a small town. I have been to the real life Spoon River, and it is a very rural area. If I was from such a place, I would probably feel the same as Archibald Higbie. Like Higbie, I would try everything to rise above my upbinging. In many ways, I am doing that to some extent now. Unlike me, however, Higbie seems to view his situation as unchangeable, like things were destined to be the way there are. This viewpoint is a characteristic of Naturalism. Higbie himself is also a component of Naturalism. He is an ordinary, middle-class artist. He struggles to rise out of a depressing situation. He has an unassuming background and a bleak looking future. All of these characteristics add up to make him an ideal Naturalism hero. Archibald's emotions are also what makes this a Naturalism poem. As I read, I could practically feel Archibald's frustration jumping out at me. "And what could I do, all covered over and weighted down with western soil, except aspire, and pray for another birth in the world, with all of Spoon River rooted out of my soul?" (Masters 226). This desperation is also a common theme in Naturalism works.
"Masters, Edgar Lee. 1916. Spoon River Anthology." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.bartleby.com/84/.
Masters, Edgar Lee. "226. Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters. Archibald Higbie. Monroe, Harriet, Ed. 1917. The New Poetry: An Anthology." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.bartleby.com/265/226.html.
"Two Views of the River"
"Two Views of the River" by Mark Twain is a memoir that has many Realism characteristics, but also serves as an example of the shift from Romanticism to Realism in literature. Mark Twain starts off this memoir by describing how he once saw the river. Judging from where he is from, it's a pretty safe bet to say that the river in question is the Mississippi River. Anyway, he starts off by saying that he once saw the river as breathtakingly beautiful. This is when he first moved to a location close to the river. He was in awe of the beauty of the sunset. He describes it in vivid detail and extols its beauty. He then goes on to say that the longer he lived there and worked on a steamboat, the less he saw the beauty of the water. He only saw how much it could tell him. "Then if that sunset scene had been repeated, I should have looked upon it, inwardly, after this fashion: This sun means that we are going to have wind tomorrow; that floating log means that the river is rising..." (Twain 505). He is looking at it in a more analytical way. This represents the shift from Romanticism to Realism. Previously, Romantic authors would have been hung up on how naturally beautiful the river was, like Twain was at the beginning of this story. Writers eventually began to look at things more practically, also drawing upon the old style of Rationalism. This whole memoir excerpt is basically a giant analogy for the shift in thought patterns and writing styles.
Realism and Regionalism are the main components of this work. Realism is present in the more analytical style of writing and the use of unembellished words. Fortunately, Realism is not as unadorned a writing style as Puritanism, but it is less flowery than Romanticism. Also a noteworthy characteristic of Realism that is present in "Two Views of the River" is the use of figurative language. Twain consistently compares his plight to that of a doctor. He no longer sees the beauty of the river, while a doctor cannot see the beauty of a woman for all the medical information running through his head. "Are not all her visible charms sown thick with what are to him the signs and symbols of hidden decay?" (Twain 505).
Regionalism is also present in "Two Views of the River". Twain describes the setting in great detail, both when he can still see the beauty and when he cannot. Both descriptions are very detailed in their respective ways. The setting is very important in a Regionalism work. The setting is so important that it can practically be considered its own character (Campbell). Twain draws particular attention to it, as it is the way he notices the changes in himself (Twain). The region he is in is also important. If he had not become a steamboat worker on the river, he would not have become immune to the beauty of that particular region. He also would not have been able to see its beauty in the first place. He ponders on whether it was worth it in the end.
Campbell, Donna M. "Regionalism and Local Color Fiction." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/lcolor.html.
Twain, Mark. From "Two Views of the River." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 504-505. Print.
Realism and Regionalism are the main components of this work. Realism is present in the more analytical style of writing and the use of unembellished words. Fortunately, Realism is not as unadorned a writing style as Puritanism, but it is less flowery than Romanticism. Also a noteworthy characteristic of Realism that is present in "Two Views of the River" is the use of figurative language. Twain consistently compares his plight to that of a doctor. He no longer sees the beauty of the river, while a doctor cannot see the beauty of a woman for all the medical information running through his head. "Are not all her visible charms sown thick with what are to him the signs and symbols of hidden decay?" (Twain 505).
Regionalism is also present in "Two Views of the River". Twain describes the setting in great detail, both when he can still see the beauty and when he cannot. Both descriptions are very detailed in their respective ways. The setting is very important in a Regionalism work. The setting is so important that it can practically be considered its own character (Campbell). Twain draws particular attention to it, as it is the way he notices the changes in himself (Twain). The region he is in is also important. If he had not become a steamboat worker on the river, he would not have become immune to the beauty of that particular region. He also would not have been able to see its beauty in the first place. He ponders on whether it was worth it in the end.
Campbell, Donna M. "Regionalism and Local Color Fiction." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/lcolor.html.
Twain, Mark. From "Two Views of the River." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 504-505. Print.
"The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County"
Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" is a good example of Regionalism. As mentioned earlier in this blog, Mark Twain was a key author of the Regionalism movement. A pioneer of his field, if you will. He was one of the first authors to start writing in the local dialect. For Twain, his dialect was a lazy Southern drawl, and it shows in "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County". there are many examples of the local dialect, such as when Simon Wheeler talks about how Smiley "learned" a from to jump (Twain 501). People do not say that anymore- they say taught. Also in the lines, "There was a feller here once by the name of Jim Smiley in th winter of '49 - or may be it was the spring of '50 - I don't recollect exactly..." (Twain 499) This local dialect is used so much as to become a nuciance. This was a common occurence in Regionalism. "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" reads much like other works by Twain such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. My favorite local saying used in this story was when Smiley realized his frog has been stuffed with metal and he says, "Why, blame my cats, if he don't weigh five pound!" (Twain 502). Why anyone would want to blame their cats in such a situation is beyond me, but I found the bit of local color quite amusing. It was the same case with the word "bananner" (Twain 502). Also, the use of a steamboat simile to describe a dog helps establish where this story takes place.
This story is also a work of Realism because it depicts events that could plausibly happen in real life. I remember having frog-jumping contests every Fourth of July. It is not that much of a stretch to imagine a man teaching a frog to jump, particularly if that man had a gambling problem. Jim Smiley himself was the ideal Realism hero. He was an ordinary many who lived in small town America. He liked to gamble more than the average man, but small town life does that to a person.
Government and religion are also missing from this story as well. It seems that these were not very important in Realism works. The American dream is also shuffled to the background. Nature is described only in the barest sense to establish where the events of the story are taking place. Human nature is evident in the man from the city's actions. The man cheats on their bet because he wants to win. It is within human nature to want to win all the time, this man just take it one step further to show us a darker side of his nature. There is not enough of this to make "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" at Naturalism work, though. The lack of a dire situation also makes certain that this story is not a Naturalism work. It is, however, a Realism and Regionalism work, as explained above.
Twain, Mark. "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 498-502. Print.
This story is also a work of Realism because it depicts events that could plausibly happen in real life. I remember having frog-jumping contests every Fourth of July. It is not that much of a stretch to imagine a man teaching a frog to jump, particularly if that man had a gambling problem. Jim Smiley himself was the ideal Realism hero. He was an ordinary many who lived in small town America. He liked to gamble more than the average man, but small town life does that to a person.
Government and religion are also missing from this story as well. It seems that these were not very important in Realism works. The American dream is also shuffled to the background. Nature is described only in the barest sense to establish where the events of the story are taking place. Human nature is evident in the man from the city's actions. The man cheats on their bet because he wants to win. It is within human nature to want to win all the time, this man just take it one step further to show us a darker side of his nature. There is not enough of this to make "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" at Naturalism work, though. The lack of a dire situation also makes certain that this story is not a Naturalism work. It is, however, a Realism and Regionalism work, as explained above.
Twain, Mark. "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 498-502. Print.
Stephen Crane
This excerpt from The Red Badge of Courage shows predominantly Naturalism characteristics with a thin veil of Realism on top. Prior knowledge of the novel is extremely helpful when analyzing this excerpt. I know for a fact that I was not the only one of my classmates that was confused as to what this was about. We got a basic summary from our teacher, which helped a lot. Even ignoring the background information that I got, it was still evident that there were Naturalism characteristics. The main reason this is a Naturalistic work is the psychology at work here. The man appears to be in the middle of a battlefield during a battle. This setting in itself is a quality of Naturalism. Naturalism played on the survival instinct, and what better place to show that than on a battlefield? Wars also cause great emotional stress for those fighting in them. Soldiers come home all the time with various mental disorders, the most common being Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The man in this story was in a "red rage" (Crane 493). His emotions push him forward, but his cowardance and his inexperience pull him back. The detailed way in which these emotins are depicted hints at Realism. The situation itself is also Realistic because it depicts an event that could actually happen. I am sure that many veterans could confirm that they felt emotions similar to these during their first battle.
Religion and government are not at all present in this excerpt. It makes sense that they would not be considering the situation. There is hardly time for anything in a battle, let alone government. The soldiers really probably only had time to say a quick prayer before their attention shifted to survival, and this excerpt is apparently after that time. The American Dream is also not wholly represented in this. The part about gaining glory could be found if you looked hard enough. This man obviously wants to prove himself, and it is driving him crazy that he cannot because apparently he is a coward. Nature is not described in this portion of the novel. I am sure that it is later, but not in the three paragraphs in question. The Hero is a common Realism character. He seems to be an ordinary man who finds himself in a drastic situation where he must survive. Figurative language is sed very creatively here. "Buried in the smoke of many rifles his anger was directed not so much against the men whom he knew were rushing toward him as against the swirling battle phantoms which were choking him, stuffing their smoke robes down his parched throat." (Crane 493) is my favorite example. That imagery really stuck out to me. I love how he makes the battle into a real entity that is trying to make things as hard as possible for the soldiers on both sides. The regular language was also indicative of Realism. There is no dialogue though, so we cannot see whether there is a dialect or not to indicate Regionalism.
Crane, Stephen. "from The Red Badge of Courage." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 493. Print.
Religion and government are not at all present in this excerpt. It makes sense that they would not be considering the situation. There is hardly time for anything in a battle, let alone government. The soldiers really probably only had time to say a quick prayer before their attention shifted to survival, and this excerpt is apparently after that time. The American Dream is also not wholly represented in this. The part about gaining glory could be found if you looked hard enough. This man obviously wants to prove himself, and it is driving him crazy that he cannot because apparently he is a coward. Nature is not described in this portion of the novel. I am sure that it is later, but not in the three paragraphs in question. The Hero is a common Realism character. He seems to be an ordinary man who finds himself in a drastic situation where he must survive. Figurative language is sed very creatively here. "Buried in the smoke of many rifles his anger was directed not so much against the men whom he knew were rushing toward him as against the swirling battle phantoms which were choking him, stuffing their smoke robes down his parched throat." (Crane 493) is my favorite example. That imagery really stuck out to me. I love how he makes the battle into a real entity that is trying to make things as hard as possible for the soldiers on both sides. The regular language was also indicative of Realism. There is no dialogue though, so we cannot see whether there is a dialect or not to indicate Regionalism.
Crane, Stephen. "from The Red Badge of Courage." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 493. Print.
Kate Chopin
The excerpt from Kate Chopin's The Awakening shows many Naturalism characteristics. For one thing, the woman who is the main focus is uncontrollably sobbing. The story even says that she does not know why she is crying, other than that she is having a "good cry all to herself" (Chopin "Awakening" 491). She feels oppressed by society and stifled by her husband's kindness toward her. These depressing emotions have been associated with Naturalism for a long time now, whether it was originally supposed to be that way or not. Either way, those emotions bring the human nature and psychological aspect into this story. The idea of fate as a driving force is also brought up in this excerpt, which is also a characteristic of Naturalism. "She did not sit there inwardly upbraiding her husband, lamenting at Fate, which had directed her footsteps to the path which they had taken." (Chopin "Awakening" 491). This quote states that she was not mourning her fate, but it does establish the belief in fate that was a staple of Naturalism.
The other story featured in this blog is Chopin's "The Story of an Hour". This was probably my favorite one so far. It describes a woman who learns that her husband has died in an accident. Instead of feeling sad, like one might expect, she is happy that he is no longer around to control her. When thought upon, this makes sense. At the time this was written, men had almost complete control over their wives. Women were just starting to fight for their equal rights and to raise awareness. So, anyway, she is really happy because she is finally "Free! Body and soul free!" (Chopin "Story" 555). Then her husband comes home and she dies of sadness. Again, we see the depressing emotions that have become intertwined with Naturalism through the years. This story deals with the psychological aspect of Naturalism more than any of the others so far. The wife's reasons for feeling the way that she does are explained in detail. That detail is also characteristic of Naturalism and Realism in general. Chopin describes the room the woman is n, and how her face looks as she cries.
Both of these stories could have happened in real life, which is a ringing endorsement for Realism. Women cry to themselves all the time. Many have good reason to. Also, people's husband's could be mistakenly reported dead, it's happened often enough. Society at the time was very realistically portrayed in both of these stories. Government, religion, and nature are not very prominent in these stories. The American Dream is present in the form of the Women's American Dream. Both of the main women want to be free from the oppression of the men in order for there to be "no one to live for her... she would live for herself." (Chopin "Story" 555). The heroines of these stories would, in my opinion, be able to live such a life quite comfortably. It sounds like they have already been through so much, so they deserve to have their American Dream come true.
Chopin, Kate. "The Awakening." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 491. Print.
Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 554-555. Print.
The other story featured in this blog is Chopin's "The Story of an Hour". This was probably my favorite one so far. It describes a woman who learns that her husband has died in an accident. Instead of feeling sad, like one might expect, she is happy that he is no longer around to control her. When thought upon, this makes sense. At the time this was written, men had almost complete control over their wives. Women were just starting to fight for their equal rights and to raise awareness. So, anyway, she is really happy because she is finally "Free! Body and soul free!" (Chopin "Story" 555). Then her husband comes home and she dies of sadness. Again, we see the depressing emotions that have become intertwined with Naturalism through the years. This story deals with the psychological aspect of Naturalism more than any of the others so far. The wife's reasons for feeling the way that she does are explained in detail. That detail is also characteristic of Naturalism and Realism in general. Chopin describes the room the woman is n, and how her face looks as she cries.
Both of these stories could have happened in real life, which is a ringing endorsement for Realism. Women cry to themselves all the time. Many have good reason to. Also, people's husband's could be mistakenly reported dead, it's happened often enough. Society at the time was very realistically portrayed in both of these stories. Government, religion, and nature are not very prominent in these stories. The American Dream is present in the form of the Women's American Dream. Both of the main women want to be free from the oppression of the men in order for there to be "no one to live for her... she would live for herself." (Chopin "Story" 555). The heroines of these stories would, in my opinion, be able to live such a life quite comfortably. It sounds like they have already been through so much, so they deserve to have their American Dream come true.
Chopin, Kate. "The Awakening." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 491. Print.
Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 554-555. Print.
Willa Cather
Willa Cather's O Pioneers! has many characteristics of Realism and Regionalism. O Pioneers! reads like a biography of the Bergson brothers. At least the excerpt in question does. The writing is plain and simple. Things are described in detail, such as the wooden sidewalks. Cather includes that they are wooden when such a detail was unnecessary. Realism authors often included seemingly unimportant details for the purpose of helping the reader to imagine the scene. The events described in O Pioneers! could happen in reality. At the time period, this happened quite a bit. In today's world such events would be unheard of, but at the time, Westward expansion was still around and still a pretty big deal.
Cather's "A Wagner Matinee" describes just that. A matinee concert performance of various pieces by Wagner. Such a thing could have actually happened at some point in time. It actually did quite frequently when orchestra performances were still a popular form of entertainment. The main characters are the narrator and his Aunt Georgiana. He hasn't seen her in a while, so he is happy to spend time with her while she is in Boston. The narrator is an ordinary man living in Boston, and his aunt is a typical homesteader out in Nebraska. Both characters were of lower middle-class society, which is a common trait of Realism heroes. Also common to Realism is the writng style. The words are unpretentious and very descriptive. Details that could be considered unnecesarry are also included in "A Wagener Matinee" such as when the narrator is describing the clothing of the ladies at the concert: "and there was only the color of bodices past counting, the shimmer of fabrics soft and firm, silky and sheer; red, mauve, pink, blue, lilac, purple, ecru, rose, yellow, cream, and white..." (Cather "Wagner" 524). While colorful, that description was really not needed in order to further the plot.
Religion is not a topic in either work up for discussion in this blog, nor is government. Nature is discussed briefly in O Pioneers!, but not in "A Wagner Matinee". In O Pioneers! the drought is described as well as what the land they settled on looks like. Human nature is not mentioned in depth, but is able to be seen. In O Pioneers! the Bergson brothers' nature is mentioned, the author saying that "The Bergson boys, certainly, would have been happier with their uncle Otto, in the bakery shop in Chicago." (Cather "O" 489). The American Dream is a part of both of these works because they are both about pioneers/homesteaders who wanted to go someplace new and try to live out the dream there. Government is not discussed in either work at all. There is some beautiful figurative language in "A Wagner Matinee". I especially liked the metaphor about the violins and the bows: "She sat mutely staring at the violin bows that drove obliquely downward, like the pelting streaks of rain in a summer shower." (Cather "Wagner" 525). The imagery is amazing and descriptive at the same time, which keeps the Realism feel to the whole simile.
Cather, Willa. "A Wagner Matinée." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. 521-526. Print.
Cather, Willa. "O Pioneers!" Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. 489. Print.
Cather's "A Wagner Matinee" describes just that. A matinee concert performance of various pieces by Wagner. Such a thing could have actually happened at some point in time. It actually did quite frequently when orchestra performances were still a popular form of entertainment. The main characters are the narrator and his Aunt Georgiana. He hasn't seen her in a while, so he is happy to spend time with her while she is in Boston. The narrator is an ordinary man living in Boston, and his aunt is a typical homesteader out in Nebraska. Both characters were of lower middle-class society, which is a common trait of Realism heroes. Also common to Realism is the writng style. The words are unpretentious and very descriptive. Details that could be considered unnecesarry are also included in "A Wagener Matinee" such as when the narrator is describing the clothing of the ladies at the concert: "and there was only the color of bodices past counting, the shimmer of fabrics soft and firm, silky and sheer; red, mauve, pink, blue, lilac, purple, ecru, rose, yellow, cream, and white..." (Cather "Wagner" 524). While colorful, that description was really not needed in order to further the plot.
Religion is not a topic in either work up for discussion in this blog, nor is government. Nature is discussed briefly in O Pioneers!, but not in "A Wagner Matinee". In O Pioneers! the drought is described as well as what the land they settled on looks like. Human nature is not mentioned in depth, but is able to be seen. In O Pioneers! the Bergson brothers' nature is mentioned, the author saying that "The Bergson boys, certainly, would have been happier with their uncle Otto, in the bakery shop in Chicago." (Cather "O" 489). The American Dream is a part of both of these works because they are both about pioneers/homesteaders who wanted to go someplace new and try to live out the dream there. Government is not discussed in either work at all. There is some beautiful figurative language in "A Wagner Matinee". I especially liked the metaphor about the violins and the bows: "She sat mutely staring at the violin bows that drove obliquely downward, like the pelting streaks of rain in a summer shower." (Cather "Wagner" 525). The imagery is amazing and descriptive at the same time, which keeps the Realism feel to the whole simile.
Cather, Willa. "A Wagner Matinée." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. 521-526. Print.
Cather, Willa. "O Pioneers!" Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. 489. Print.
Letter to Robert E. Lee's Family
In "Letter to His Family", Robert E. Lee, shows himself to be a very intelligent man. He can see that the nation is falling apart and is mourning the loss by writing to his son. His version of the American Dream is to have America be whole once again. This letter was written before the Civil War. Not all of the states had seceded yet, but they were getting that way. Lee could see that it was inevitable that something would happen, which is a characteristic of Naturalism.
There are also several characteristics of Realism in this letter. The most obvious being that Robert E. Lee was an actual person, thus the events that he spoke of in his letter actually happened. He is an important historical figure who is writing about things that could and did actually happen in real life. Naturally Robert E. Lee could not have known for sure that a Civil War would break out, but it was still a possibility in his time. He was also an ordinary man. The ordinary, everyday man was a prominent fixture in Realism. Again, Robert E. Lee could not have known at the time that he wrote this letter that he would become an important man in America's history. Those of us in today's time have the benefit of history and retrospect and know that he was eventually very important. He was not at the time he wrote this, so he can still be considered a Realism hero. Another characteristic of Realism that is easy to see is that this letter is written in the vernacular. Lee was writing this letter to his son, so he had no need for fancy words. He would obviously be relaxed when dealing with his family, so his word choice makes sense.
Regionalism is also apparent. Lee says that if the Union is dissolved, he will "return to my native state and share the miseries of my people." (Lee 385). This closeness to his native area is indicative of Regionalism.
Nature and psychology are not components of this letter. Government is mentioned in practically the whole thing because Lee spends the majority of this letter mourning the loss of the great nation of Washington's time. "How his spirit would be grieved could he see the wreck of his mighty labors!" (Lee 385). Religion is also included, but is not the main focus. In these lines, "...We are between a state of anarchy and civil war. May God avert both of these evils from us! I fear that mankind will not for years be sufficiently Christianized to bear the absence of restraint and force," (Lee 385) Lee is asking for God to help them during this time. Lee's American Dream is just to keep America together. he does not want the country to break up and fight against each other. He just wants to keep living his life according to The American Dream. His views reflect the feelings of many Americans at that time. Only small groups actually wanted to go to war, but many saw it as inevitable.
Lee, Robert E. "Letter to his Son." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 385. Print.
There are also several characteristics of Realism in this letter. The most obvious being that Robert E. Lee was an actual person, thus the events that he spoke of in his letter actually happened. He is an important historical figure who is writing about things that could and did actually happen in real life. Naturally Robert E. Lee could not have known for sure that a Civil War would break out, but it was still a possibility in his time. He was also an ordinary man. The ordinary, everyday man was a prominent fixture in Realism. Again, Robert E. Lee could not have known at the time that he wrote this letter that he would become an important man in America's history. Those of us in today's time have the benefit of history and retrospect and know that he was eventually very important. He was not at the time he wrote this, so he can still be considered a Realism hero. Another characteristic of Realism that is easy to see is that this letter is written in the vernacular. Lee was writing this letter to his son, so he had no need for fancy words. He would obviously be relaxed when dealing with his family, so his word choice makes sense.
Regionalism is also apparent. Lee says that if the Union is dissolved, he will "return to my native state and share the miseries of my people." (Lee 385). This closeness to his native area is indicative of Regionalism.
Nature and psychology are not components of this letter. Government is mentioned in practically the whole thing because Lee spends the majority of this letter mourning the loss of the great nation of Washington's time. "How his spirit would be grieved could he see the wreck of his mighty labors!" (Lee 385). Religion is also included, but is not the main focus. In these lines, "...We are between a state of anarchy and civil war. May God avert both of these evils from us! I fear that mankind will not for years be sufficiently Christianized to bear the absence of restraint and force," (Lee 385) Lee is asking for God to help them during this time. Lee's American Dream is just to keep America together. he does not want the country to break up and fight against each other. He just wants to keep living his life according to The American Dream. His views reflect the feelings of many Americans at that time. Only small groups actually wanted to go to war, but many saw it as inevitable.
Lee, Robert E. "Letter to his Son." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 385. Print.
"And Ain't I a Woman?"
"And Ain't I a Woman?" was an address to the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in 1851 delivered by Sojourner Truth, an important activist for women's and slave's rights. This speech is more Regionalist than Realist or Naturalist. Regionalism works use the dialect of the characters' area. Since this is a speech, there are no definite characters, but the dialect is still there. Even in the title of the speech, the rest of the speech's word usage should be apparent. The use of the word "ain't" should point toward a background in the South, which Sojourner Truth has. The reader can also infer that Truth felt very comfortable with her audience. She even converses with them and points them out at times such as when she says, "Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it?" Someone in the audience whispers intellect and Truth responds with "That's it, honey." (Truth 370). This plain, relaxed dialogue is indicative of Regionalism.
This speech is not very closely associated with naturalism. It does feature a common heroine from a lower class of society, but that is about it. There is not really any human nature at play here, unless you count wanting to be equal with men a part of human nature. Truth does not take a psychological approach to her view on equality for women. This speech is also not in any way about survival or fate, so it would not fit very comfortably under the title of a Naturalist work. Sojourner Truth is also not the type of woman to sit back and let fate play out. No, she is going to fight for women's rights. This is another thing that sets her apart from Naturalist writers. She did not trust in fate to get her out of slavery, and she did not trust in fate to get equal rights for women.
This speech could also be called Realism in nature because Truth presented a scenario that did actually happen in real life. She was also pretty detailed in her complaints against men. For example, "That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman?" (Truth 370). She gets specific, and calls upon things that a man actually said he thought women needed help with. She tells the truth that women deserve equal rights to men in a frank and understandable manner. This is also in the style of Realism.
This was a very powerful speech, despite its short length. It is fortunate that we had a forward-thinker like her to bring about women's rights. She thought about realistic ways to get equality for women, and her speech "And Ain't I a Woman", reflects her Realist attitude. To some, this speech may sound like bitter complaints from a bitter woman, but for the most part, I think she was just stating the facts that she had seen throughout her life and saying that something needed to change.
Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain't I a Woman?" Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 370. Print.
This speech is not very closely associated with naturalism. It does feature a common heroine from a lower class of society, but that is about it. There is not really any human nature at play here, unless you count wanting to be equal with men a part of human nature. Truth does not take a psychological approach to her view on equality for women. This speech is also not in any way about survival or fate, so it would not fit very comfortably under the title of a Naturalist work. Sojourner Truth is also not the type of woman to sit back and let fate play out. No, she is going to fight for women's rights. This is another thing that sets her apart from Naturalist writers. She did not trust in fate to get her out of slavery, and she did not trust in fate to get equal rights for women.
This speech could also be called Realism in nature because Truth presented a scenario that did actually happen in real life. She was also pretty detailed in her complaints against men. For example, "That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman?" (Truth 370). She gets specific, and calls upon things that a man actually said he thought women needed help with. She tells the truth that women deserve equal rights to men in a frank and understandable manner. This is also in the style of Realism.
This was a very powerful speech, despite its short length. It is fortunate that we had a forward-thinker like her to bring about women's rights. She thought about realistic ways to get equality for women, and her speech "And Ain't I a Woman", reflects her Realist attitude. To some, this speech may sound like bitter complaints from a bitter woman, but for the most part, I think she was just stating the facts that she had seen throughout her life and saying that something needed to change.
Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain't I a Woman?" Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 370. Print.
Anonymous Collection
The Realism works in the anonymous collection mentioned in the title are "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Go Down, Moses," and "Keep Your Hand on the Plow". Personally, I failed to see how any of these are Realist or Naturalist works. They are songs that the black slaves made up to spite their masters. Their masters did not want their slaves singing about freedom because they were paranoid crooks. Therefore, the slaves sang songs about freedom that were thinly describing something else in a giant metaphor for freedom. It amazes me that the masters did not catch on more often than they did, as the songs listed in this blog are all very obviously about freedom. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is about a chariot that will come to take the slaves "home", though does not specify where that is. It could literally mean their home of Africa or to freedom. "Go Down, Moses" is about the bible story where Moses frees the Jewish slaves under the Egyptian pharaoh. Last, but not least, "Keep Your Hand on the Plow" is about another biblical story in which an apostle of Jesus and his companion are imprisoned, but escape due to an act of God. The songs clearly speak of freedom, which at the time, was not a very realistic concept.
The main thing that I see in these songs is Regionalism. The songs are all in the common language of the slaves, which was not very "sophisticated". The Southern dialect is apparent in these songs, which makes sense because most of the slaves in this time period were in the South, working in any number of places. "Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home," is the main line of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (Swing). It is very simple so that it would be easy to remember and sing. "Let my people go" is also a staple of "Go Down, Moses" (Go). Simple, yet effective. Also, these songs could be said to display the aspects of Regionalism because of the area in which they originated. Many slave song originated on the plantations where they worked for long hours a day. The only thing they had to keep them occupied was their singing. These songs were created on the plantations, which were often like their own enclosed worlds. Therefore, they were very area specific.
These songs could also be considered Naturalistic in how they deal with human nature. It is against human nature to want to be held captive as a slave. Each of these songs reflects that by singing of freedom. In "Keep Your Hand on the Plow", the song says, "Got my hand on the gospel plow, wouldn't take nothin' for my journey now..." (Keep). This "journey" is the journey to freedom. These also show Naturalism because the heroes are from the lower classes. Moses was a poor slave, the Apostles were also poor for religious purposes, and the slaves themselves were poor and of low class in society. The heroes of the songs are all from the poor lower classes of society, which is a Naturalism characteristic (Campbell).
Campbell, Donna M. "Naturalism in American Literature." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 27 July 2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/natural.htm.
"Go Down, Moses." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 346. Print.
"Keep Your Hand on the Plow." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 347. Print.
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 348. Print.
The main thing that I see in these songs is Regionalism. The songs are all in the common language of the slaves, which was not very "sophisticated". The Southern dialect is apparent in these songs, which makes sense because most of the slaves in this time period were in the South, working in any number of places. "Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home," is the main line of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (Swing). It is very simple so that it would be easy to remember and sing. "Let my people go" is also a staple of "Go Down, Moses" (Go). Simple, yet effective. Also, these songs could be said to display the aspects of Regionalism because of the area in which they originated. Many slave song originated on the plantations where they worked for long hours a day. The only thing they had to keep them occupied was their singing. These songs were created on the plantations, which were often like their own enclosed worlds. Therefore, they were very area specific.
These songs could also be considered Naturalistic in how they deal with human nature. It is against human nature to want to be held captive as a slave. Each of these songs reflects that by singing of freedom. In "Keep Your Hand on the Plow", the song says, "Got my hand on the gospel plow, wouldn't take nothin' for my journey now..." (Keep). This "journey" is the journey to freedom. These also show Naturalism because the heroes are from the lower classes. Moses was a poor slave, the Apostles were also poor for religious purposes, and the slaves themselves were poor and of low class in society. The heroes of the songs are all from the poor lower classes of society, which is a Naturalism characteristic (Campbell).
Campbell, Donna M. "Naturalism in American Literature." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 27 July 2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/natural.htm.
"Go Down, Moses." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 346. Print.
"Keep Your Hand on the Plow." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 347. Print.
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 348. Print.
Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural and Gettysburg Addresses
Abraham Lincoln's "Second Inaugural Address March 4, 1865" really does not have many characteristics of Realism, Naturalism, or Regionalism. If anything, I would say that it was closer to a Puritan or Romantic work. I get the Puritan part because of how Lincoln mentioned God's providence many times such as when he wrote,"If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove..." (Lincoln Second 339). The overtones of religion are not particular to Realism, which is why I thought this might be better suited as a Puritan work. However, the "Second Inaugural Address" has a Naturalistic tone because of the belief that a high power is controlling our fate. Lincoln is basically saying that they were able to have slaves because the Lord allowed it. I think of this as a Romanticism work because it sounds really lofty and details Lincoln's dream for the future. The other side to that coin though, is that his dreams were born from the reality of the Civil War. We obviously know that what Lincoln hoped for in this speech came true, as we do not have slavery today. Therefore, we can say that what Lincoln wrote could happen, making it a Realist work.
Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" is a better example of Realism than his "Second Inaugural Address". It makes historical references to the beginning of America, which could be associated with Realism because events such as the forming of America, the Civil War, and the battle of Gettysburg actually did happen. This speech also has a bit of Regionalism in it, as it describes the atmosphere of the area, as well as what occurred there. Naturalism also is apparent here because fate had a part in what happened at Gettysburg, and Lincoln also says that the fate of the soldiers who died will not be forgotten. "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." (Lincoln Gettysburg 402). Turns out that he was wrong about the part where we would forget what he said that day, but the Naturalistic tones are there.
Both of the speeches show Realism/Regionalism tendencies in the words themselves. The language of both is not very fancy. That is not saying that the words have no impact or deep meaning because that is not the case. Abraham Lincoln just was not pretentious when writing his speeches. The simple writing he preferred is a characteristic of Regionalism and Realism (Campbell both). This was also one of the many things that people loved about him.
I do not think that either of these should count as a true Realism speech. While the characteristics that I pointed out above are in the speeches, there are also hints of other writing styles that are not related to Realism. Also seeing as how both the excerpt of the "Second Inaugural Address" and the "Gettysburg Address" were very short, there was really no room for Realism.
Lincoln, Abraham. "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865." American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 339. Print.
Lincoln, Abraham. "The Gettysburg Address." American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 402. Print.
Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" is a better example of Realism than his "Second Inaugural Address". It makes historical references to the beginning of America, which could be associated with Realism because events such as the forming of America, the Civil War, and the battle of Gettysburg actually did happen. This speech also has a bit of Regionalism in it, as it describes the atmosphere of the area, as well as what occurred there. Naturalism also is apparent here because fate had a part in what happened at Gettysburg, and Lincoln also says that the fate of the soldiers who died will not be forgotten. "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." (Lincoln Gettysburg 402). Turns out that he was wrong about the part where we would forget what he said that day, but the Naturalistic tones are there.
Both of the speeches show Realism/Regionalism tendencies in the words themselves. The language of both is not very fancy. That is not saying that the words have no impact or deep meaning because that is not the case. Abraham Lincoln just was not pretentious when writing his speeches. The simple writing he preferred is a characteristic of Regionalism and Realism (Campbell both). This was also one of the many things that people loved about him.
I do not think that either of these should count as a true Realism speech. While the characteristics that I pointed out above are in the speeches, there are also hints of other writing styles that are not related to Realism. Also seeing as how both the excerpt of the "Second Inaugural Address" and the "Gettysburg Address" were very short, there was really no room for Realism.
Lincoln, Abraham. "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865." American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 339. Print.
Lincoln, Abraham. "The Gettysburg Address." American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 402. Print.
"The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro"
"The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" by Frederick Douglass was a speech that he wrote, presented to a white audience on the fifth of the July. The few paragraphs in the excerpt that I was given to read made it hard to distinguish whether it was, in fact, a realism work of prose. This part of the speech criticisms the white Americans' enslavement of the Negros. He says that all the Americans celebrating the fourth are basically hypocrites. "What, to the American slave, is your fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim." (Douglass 337). If anything, I would categorize this speech as a Naturalism work. The main people being featured are the black slaves, a poor class governed mainly by Social Darwinism. The bitter tone of this reflects the harsh treatment of the slaves. Douglass is thinking about the psychological aspect of Naturalism and how human nature affects the world. He does not say it directly, but it can be inferred that he thinks the white peoples' nature is responsible for their harsh treatment of the black slaves. Apparently it is also in their nature to be whining hypocrites. "Your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery." (Douglass 337). The "Hero" of this fits best with naturalism, when making Douglass himself the hero. He was from the lowest of the lower classes of society, but rose to higher levels through self-education and his own hard work. He was the ideal hero of the time period.
This could also be given the blanket title of Realism for a few reasons. The first major reason is the amount of detail that Douglass puts into describing how the blacks feel and describing the white peoples' personalities. He uses many synonyms to describe both, such as "bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy" (Douglass 337) to describe the feelings of the whites in rationalizing slavery. This could also be categorized as a Realism work because it was obviously a historical event that actually happened. Therefore, the criteria of the events described actually being able to happen applies in this case. Realism also used the plain everyday speech of the time (Campbell). This is evident in "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro". Douglass uses some pretentious language, but as he is holding his white audience in contempt, this is understandable.
I did not really see any characteristics of Regionalism in "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro". Douglass may have incorporated aspects of Regionalism later in his speech, but not in this excerpt. He makes no mention of the sectional differences, other than those between blacks and whites, which was present in basically any region of that time. There was also no detectable dialect of any sort in his writing and a considerable lack of dialogue, which was also a characteristic of Regionalism.
Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 21 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2011. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm
Douglass, Frederick. "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro." American Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 337. Print.
This could also be given the blanket title of Realism for a few reasons. The first major reason is the amount of detail that Douglass puts into describing how the blacks feel and describing the white peoples' personalities. He uses many synonyms to describe both, such as "bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy" (Douglass 337) to describe the feelings of the whites in rationalizing slavery. This could also be categorized as a Realism work because it was obviously a historical event that actually happened. Therefore, the criteria of the events described actually being able to happen applies in this case. Realism also used the plain everyday speech of the time (Campbell). This is evident in "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro". Douglass uses some pretentious language, but as he is holding his white audience in contempt, this is understandable.
I did not really see any characteristics of Regionalism in "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro". Douglass may have incorporated aspects of Regionalism later in his speech, but not in this excerpt. He makes no mention of the sectional differences, other than those between blacks and whites, which was present in basically any region of that time. There was also no detectable dialect of any sort in his writing and a considerable lack of dialogue, which was also a characteristic of Regionalism.
Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 21 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2011. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm
Douglass, Frederick. "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro." American Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 337. Print.
Regionalism Definition
Regionalism is another branch of Realism, sometimes called local color writing. Like Realism, Regionalism is detailed and character-oriented. Regionalism is more sentimental and influenced by Romanticism writing as well (Campbell). As the name implies, Regionalism deals with various regions and areas of America. The literature still has the detail-heavy feel of Realism, and those details go toward describing the area in which the story takes place (Campbell). Regionalism first started showing up after the Civil War. Though Reconstruction had ended and the country was supposedly one again, deep sectionalism still remained. Americans were identifying with where they lived on a larger scale than any previous time in American history. Regionalism was a way to express pride in where you were from. The setting in Regionalism works is described in detail and often becomes a character in itself (Campbell). Regionalism settings are often very natural, often set in remote or hard to reach places. The characters in Regionalism often take a backseat to the character and feel of the region itself. So much so that they would sometimes become stereotypical, whether by speech or personality traits particular to the region (Campbell). Local dialect also plays a big part in Regionalism, as it is often used to establish where the characters are from. Mark Twain was a pioneer in this aspect of Regionalism. His characters often spoke in his regional dialect, giving them a real-life feel that was new to readers. No one would expect a little boy from a small town to speak in proper American English, especially if they were from the same region. Therefore, it makes more sense to have characters such as Tom Sawyer in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, speak in his local vernacular. Many Regionalism and local color stories have a nostalgic feel to them, a desire for the often-remembered, never-lived "golden age" that is always in the past. They also express an uneasy feeling toward change, unless of course, the change is that return to the golden age (Campbell).
Campbell, Donna M. "Regionalism and Local Color Fiction." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/lcolor.html.
Campbell, Donna M. "Regionalism and Local Color Fiction." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/lcolor.html.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Naturalism Definition
Naturalism was a branch off of Realism. The two are similar in that they depict events as true to life as possible and pay particular attention to the characters. Naturalism is more pessimistic than Realism, often focusing on themes such as survival of harsh conditions, the lower classes, and fate (Reuben). Well-known Naturalism authors include Frank Norris, Jack London, Stephen Crane, and Edith Glasgow (Campbell). Naturalism is similar to Realism in that it depicts events that could plausibly happen in real life. Granted, some of the events are a little far-fetched, but they could happen under the right circumstances. The obvious conclusion when it comes to Naturalism would be that it deals exclusively with the type of nature we find outside. While this could be true for some works of this literary period, it is not true for all of them. Nature does play a large role in works such as Jack London's Call of the Wild and Sea Wolf, but less of a role in other works by authors of the time. The type of nature that is the focus of Naturalism is human nature. Specifically the events that lead up to and cause the decisions we make in our lives. The American Dream is present in these works to varying degrees. Many Naturalism works feature poor people, immigrants, or poor immigrants. Obviously, these people would strive for the American Dream as a way to better their lives. In the case of the immigrants, they journeyed to America so that they could try for the American Dream in the first place. The Hero is typically one of the down-trodden members of society, ordinary in practically every way. Social Darwinism and fate are used as devices to control the characters in their endeavors (Campbell). The outlook on Society was rather bleak, which is understandable, considering the characters. Naturalism probably came about because of the rise of Industrialism. The cities were crowded with people that seemed to be at the mercy of Social Darwinism. Naturalism differs from Realism in the way that it looks at the psychological workings of these people, rather than just the characters themselves (Campbell).
Campbell, Donna M. "Naturalism in American Literature." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 27 July 2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/natural.htm.
Rueben, Paul P. "PAL: AmericanNaturalism: A Brief Introduction." California State University Stanislaus | Home. 25 Dec. 2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap6/6intro.html.
Campbell, Donna M. "Naturalism in American Literature." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 27 July 2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/natural.htm.
Rueben, Paul P. "PAL: AmericanNaturalism: A Brief Introduction." California State University Stanislaus | Home. 25 Dec. 2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap6/6intro.html.
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