What is Realism?
A faithful representation of reality in
literature, also known as
“verisimilitude.”
Emphasis on development of
believable characters.
Written in natural vernacular, or
dialect.
Prominent from 1860-1900.
Realism
William Dean Howells
said realism “is
nothing more and
nothing less than the
truthful treatment of
something.”
Realist Writers
Mark Twain
William Dean
Howells
Henry James
Edgar Lee Masters
Why did Realism develop?
The Civil War
The urbanization and industrialization of
America
As a reaction to Romanticism
Increasing rates of democracy and literacy
The emerging middle class
Upheaval and social change in the latter
half of the 19th century
What is Regionalism?
Often called “local color.”
Focuses on characters, dialect,
customs, topography, and other
features specific to a certain region
(eg. the South)
Coincided with Realism and sharing
many of the same traits.
Prominent from 1865-1895.
Why did Regionalism develop?
Dual influence of Romanticism and
Realism
The Civil War and the building of a
national identity
An outgrowth of realism with more
focus on a particular setting and its
influence over characters
Points to Remember…
Realism, Regionalism, and
Naturalism are intertwined and
connected.
Their influence has dominated most
literature created since 1920, though
the movement itself is dated to
roughly that point.
They are truly American modes of
writing.
Twain’s realism
Twain’s
work was realistic
in his use of colloquial and
vernacular speech,
including regional dialects,
and his parade of
characters from everyday
life.
The picaresque novel
The picaresque novel (Spanish:
"picaresca" from "pícaro" for "rogue"
or "rascal") is a type of fiction which is
usually satirical and depicts, in
realistic and often humorous detail,
the adventures of a roguish hero
(picaro) of low social class who lives
by his wits in a corrupt society.
Origin of picaresque novel
This style of novel originated in 16th
century Spain and flourished
throughout Europe in the 17th and
18th centuries. It continues to
influence modern literature.
Don Quixote
Miguel Cervantes’ Don Quixote is a
famous example of a picaresque
novel
Don Quixote by Pablo Picasso
The Don is an anti-hero(opposite of
traditional hero): an old knight instead of
a young one. He is poor. He reads book
on knighthood and makes a fool of
himself trying to imitate the heroes in
those books.
His companion is not a noble squire but
a simple peasant, Sancho Panza, who is
the opposite of the Don. He is a realist.
He hasn't read any books. The Don's
adventures are absurd, lower-class
parodies of the adventures of the nobility
in the medieval romances.
Plaza de España , Madrid
Huck Finn as a picaro
Huck Finn is Twain’s version of a
picaresque novel, and Tom Sawyer
even alludes to Don Quixote at the
beginning of the novel. This reference
is called a literary allusion.
What role do Huck and Tom play in
the book in relation to Don and
Sancho? How is Huck Finn a
picaresque novel?