INTRODUCTION
As war began to emerge, the Romantic period came to an end and the period of Realism and Naturalism began. Realism is the literary movement that developed towards the end of the civil war and stressed the actual reality as opposed to the imagined of fanciful. The Civil war ended the ideas of beauty and nature and began this new literary time period. Authors used the the war began as an example of how harsh reality truly is and this became the main theme of their writing.
War broke out in 1865 and during this time the south succeeded, the idea of slavery was challenged, and many people died. After the Civil War there was a period of reconstruction and expansion. Also, the Second Industrial Revolution and consumerism made the people realize the reality of the world around them.
Realism writing focused on the harsh reality of the world around people through the depiction of war. Literature during that time included short stories, letters, autobiographies, diaries, and journals that included the authors raw emotions. Mary Chesnut Brown gave her perspective of war through her diary , one of the most vulnerable places someone has. Stephen Crane and Ambrose Bierce wrote short stories describing the challenges war can cause on a soldier and the way they experience death. These works kept people informed about the life these people were living in. Naturalism depicted real people in real situations like realism, but believed that forces larger than the individual- nature, fate, heredity, shaped individual destiny. There is no longer a connection between the individual and nature. Along with realism, naturalism depicts the real world around the individual and that it is not always beautiful.
The Civil war sparked the period of Realism and Naturalism that forced the individual to face reality. Authors during this time were trying to get the audience to relate to difficult experiences and help them understand how to face reality. Realism is a rejection to romanticism and the two cannot coincide. This period is crucial to America because it teaches us how to face the brutality of reality.
War broke out in 1865 and during this time the south succeeded, the idea of slavery was challenged, and many people died. After the Civil War there was a period of reconstruction and expansion. Also, the Second Industrial Revolution and consumerism made the people realize the reality of the world around them.
Realism writing focused on the harsh reality of the world around people through the depiction of war. Literature during that time included short stories, letters, autobiographies, diaries, and journals that included the authors raw emotions. Mary Chesnut Brown gave her perspective of war through her diary , one of the most vulnerable places someone has. Stephen Crane and Ambrose Bierce wrote short stories describing the challenges war can cause on a soldier and the way they experience death. These works kept people informed about the life these people were living in. Naturalism depicted real people in real situations like realism, but believed that forces larger than the individual- nature, fate, heredity, shaped individual destiny. There is no longer a connection between the individual and nature. Along with realism, naturalism depicts the real world around the individual and that it is not always beautiful.
The Civil war sparked the period of Realism and Naturalism that forced the individual to face reality. Authors during this time were trying to get the audience to relate to difficult experiences and help them understand how to face reality. Realism is a rejection to romanticism and the two cannot coincide. This period is crucial to America because it teaches us how to face the brutality of reality.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Abraham lincoln, one of America’s greatest heroes, was born February 12, 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky. His parents, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln had two other children, his older sister Sarah and his younger brother Thomas who died as an infant. The pair worked hard to provide for their family. Thomas was a hard-working pioneer who had mild prosperity and was well respected in the community. The family moved to a small plot of land in Perry county where they hunted and farmed.
Lincoln’s mother died when he was 9 years old which devastated him. He became distant from his father and resented the hard work ethic placed on him. His father remarried Sarah Johnson and Lincoln quickly bonded with her. She encouraged Lincoln to read. He received his formal education while growing into manhood.
Lincoln began his political career after the war ended and was elected to the Illinois state legislature as a member of the Whig Party. He supported the Whig ideals of government-sponsored infrastructure and protective tariffs.This new political understanding helped develop his view on slavery, rather than a moral wrong, it helps boost the economy. During this time he decided to become a lawyer. He taught himself law by reading William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England and later moved to Springfield, Illinois to practice at the John T. Stuart law firm. In 1844 Lincoln became law firm partners with William Herndon. Despite their different personalities and styles, they developed a close friendship. Lincoln later decided to leave Springfield because there was was not enough work to support his income.
Abraham Lincoln time in politics is considered brief. He served a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives where he spoke out against the Mexican-American War and showed his support for Zachary Taylor’s presidential campaign. His opinion made him unpopular so he returned home to practice law again. While at home, he became apart of the railroad industry which gave him more exposure. He helped new clients and had more major success cases.
In 1856, Lincoln joined the Republican party because he was troubled by the pass of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, repealing the Missouri Compromise. In 1857, the Supreme Court issued Scott v. Sanford, which said African Americans were not citizens and had no inherent rights. Although Lincoln believed blacks were not equal to whites, rather everyone was eligible for certain rights, he decided to challenge the case and Stephen Douglas.
The Senate featured the debates across the nation. The central topic of debate was slavery. This gained both candidates exposure for the election. In 1860, political operatives in Illinois organized a campaign to support Abraham Lincoln for president. He was running against his main rival Douglas, along with the other two candidates Breckenridge and Bell. Lincoln received 180 of 303 Electoral votes winning him the election.
Lincoln was blessed with a strong Cabinet which he needed because right before his inauguration the southern states decided to secede from the Union. Lincoln and the nation new war was going to begin when the U.S. military installation Fort Sumter was under siege in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. America’s deadliest war began April 12, 1861 when the guns stationed to protect the harbor shot toward the fort.
Lincoln helped the war effort and led the Union army to victory, He reshaped the war and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The northern war effort continued to improve and finally on April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee, commander of the southern states surrendered ending the war. Lincoln was assassinated during reconstruction after war, without his leadership the United States might not be the same.
Lincoln’s mother died when he was 9 years old which devastated him. He became distant from his father and resented the hard work ethic placed on him. His father remarried Sarah Johnson and Lincoln quickly bonded with her. She encouraged Lincoln to read. He received his formal education while growing into manhood.
Lincoln began his political career after the war ended and was elected to the Illinois state legislature as a member of the Whig Party. He supported the Whig ideals of government-sponsored infrastructure and protective tariffs.This new political understanding helped develop his view on slavery, rather than a moral wrong, it helps boost the economy. During this time he decided to become a lawyer. He taught himself law by reading William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England and later moved to Springfield, Illinois to practice at the John T. Stuart law firm. In 1844 Lincoln became law firm partners with William Herndon. Despite their different personalities and styles, they developed a close friendship. Lincoln later decided to leave Springfield because there was was not enough work to support his income.
Abraham Lincoln time in politics is considered brief. He served a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives where he spoke out against the Mexican-American War and showed his support for Zachary Taylor’s presidential campaign. His opinion made him unpopular so he returned home to practice law again. While at home, he became apart of the railroad industry which gave him more exposure. He helped new clients and had more major success cases.
In 1856, Lincoln joined the Republican party because he was troubled by the pass of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, repealing the Missouri Compromise. In 1857, the Supreme Court issued Scott v. Sanford, which said African Americans were not citizens and had no inherent rights. Although Lincoln believed blacks were not equal to whites, rather everyone was eligible for certain rights, he decided to challenge the case and Stephen Douglas.
The Senate featured the debates across the nation. The central topic of debate was slavery. This gained both candidates exposure for the election. In 1860, political operatives in Illinois organized a campaign to support Abraham Lincoln for president. He was running against his main rival Douglas, along with the other two candidates Breckenridge and Bell. Lincoln received 180 of 303 Electoral votes winning him the election.
Lincoln was blessed with a strong Cabinet which he needed because right before his inauguration the southern states decided to secede from the Union. Lincoln and the nation new war was going to begin when the U.S. military installation Fort Sumter was under siege in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. America’s deadliest war began April 12, 1861 when the guns stationed to protect the harbor shot toward the fort.
Lincoln helped the war effort and led the Union army to victory, He reshaped the war and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The northern war effort continued to improve and finally on April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee, commander of the southern states surrendered ending the war. Lincoln was assassinated during reconstruction after war, without his leadership the United States might not be the same.
TIMELINE
Key Authors
Ambrose Bierce- "An Occurrence at Owl Creek"
Willa Cather- "A Wagner Matinee" Mary Boykin Chesnut-From Civil War Kate Chopin- "The Story of an Hour" Stephen Crane- "An Episode of War" Miriam Davis Colt- "Heading West" Fredrick Augustus Bailey Douglas- "My Bondage and my Freedom" Chief Joseph- "I Will Fight No More Forever" Abraham Lincoln- Gettysburg Address Robert E. Lee- Letter to His Son Jack London- "To Build a Fire" Sojourner Truth- Sojourner Truth Mark Twain- "The Boys' Ambition" and "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" |
|
|
Watch a brief video of "AN OCCARNCE OF OWL CREEK
themes
The central theme of literature during Realism and Naturalism is accuratly displaying the reality of life. Writing during this time exposed one to the reality of the world the individual is living in. Autobiographies, diaries, and letters revealed a new perspective of war from the people who were presently living in it. It gave readers a tough situation to naalyze and relate to the tough challenegs that life will bring. A negative light is shone upon an induviduals life due to the harsh reality of the world.
|
"Abraham Lincoln." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 19 Sept. 2016. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.