Realism

As this quote says about realism, "As a movement in American literature, realism is associated with the rise of novelists such as Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens), Henry James, Rebecca Harding Davis, and William Dean Howells, who defined it as "nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material (Barney, Paddock)." Realism was a literary genres in which many famous and stereotypically representative novels were released including Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer, and Stephen Crane's The Open Boat." Novels such as these were instrumental in realism and are often regarded as the high-point for realistic literature along with their embodiment of the American culture.

One of the most important aspects of Realism was the American dream. The American dream was the driving force behind the realism literary movement and lent itself to American culture. The dream was "to rise above one's situation at birth, to live self-sufficiently without financial worries, and to own land (Werlock)." With the American dream people enjoyed reading novels in which human protagonists with feelings, needs, and wants similar or the same to theirs received their just dues and ended up happy.

Along with the stereotypical American Dream came that everyman protagonist who would come to be known as the American Hero. The American Hero was the embodiment of American ideals and characteristics. Usually a strong, hardworking, middle class hero who rose above any challenges and through struggle and character growth gained his happiness throughout the course of the novel.

The outlook of society by the writers could often be revealed through the mannerisms and thoughts of the characters in their novels. One famous Realist writer, Howells, was one of the better known examples of this as evidenced by this quote by Barney and Paddock, "The spokesman for American realism, Howells wrote novels that are almost sociological in their emphasis on mundane details of dress, speech, and action."

Realism as a movement started out at much the same time as the Civil War was coming to an end. After the bloodiest years the United States had seen most people were disillusioned by the so called "Glory of War" and were melancholic at the loss of so many friends, brothers, sons, and husbands. People began to have a more realistic outlook on life and were less entertained by the fabulous stories of romanticism with larger than life heroes and characters.

Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock, eds. "realism." Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Age of Romanticism and Realism, 1816–1895, vol. 2, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EAmL0738&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 25, 2011).

Werlock, Abby H. P. "American dream." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0031&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 25, 2011).