American Literature

Literary realism refers to the representation or depiction in literature of the society and day-to-day happenings and experiences as they are in reality (without idealism and subjective prejudice, which are the hall-marks of romanticism). The literary realism movement rose in the 19th century, particularly following the American Civil War. In the years after the Civil War, the literary world was divided into three camps the romantics, the realists and the naturalists who came later.

The romantics, chief among them Ralph Waldo Emerson, presented in their works characters who had the unlimited ability to confront the worst of adversity and come out unscathed. Romanticists found and depicted ideal characters and situations which would be difficult to find in the real world, and impossible to verify using existing scientific laws. According to Romanticists, human abilities acquired at birth were more important than abilities acquired through education and training (Penrose).

Realists on the other hand center their attention to a remarkable degree on the immediate, the here and now, the specific action, and the verifiable consequence (Campbell). Realists therefore portrayed characters and situations as they were in real life and could therefore be verified within the existing scientific laws or recorded history. The 19th century was the same period that Industrial Revolution swept through the United States, bringing with it rapid industrialization and urbanization rates. Demand for literary work was in high demand as more and more Americans sought to understand the rapid social and cultural changes which accompanied the revolution. In their presentation of the Industrial Revolution-era population, realists sought to explore American social life and depict it in their works without relying on ideals.

A prominent characteristic of realism is that the characters are far more important than the plot and the action. In most instances, the characters are depicted being faced with dilemmas, and making difficult ethical choices. Realists set their works in real American regions and settings, capturing and depicting the everyday struggles and experiences of the people living in the depicted settings. They limited their use of symbolism to the bare minimum and aspired to create images in the minds of the readers (Penrose). The realists believed that it was easier for a reader to identify with a character or situation if such a reader could visualize the character, than when all the reader could do was imagine an idealand perfect character.

William Dean Howells (1837-1920) was among the earliest supporters of literary realism and his works revolved around everyday American life and his readers could easily identify with the characters and situations depicted in the writings (William Dean Howells Society). Howells defined realism simply as the truthful treatment of material and therefore depicted social life and everyday struggles as Americans experienced it everyday (Carter 36). His novel, The Rise of Silas Lapham, became one of his most popular novels. Other writers who joined the literary realism movement included Mark Twain and Henry James, Hamlin Garland and Stephen Crane.