Journal #38: Religion in As I Watch'd the Ploughman Ploughing"

Obviously this poem is an analogy for Hinduism. Whitman writes of the circle of life and the aspect of reincarnation can be easily tied into the concept of the circle of life. In reincarnation the idea behind the concept is that people have an infinite number of lives and they are born and die. Once they die their spirit inhabits another being as they are born again into another life. Whitman writes of the harvesting in this poem and reaping the benefits of what is sown from the sweat of one's brow. This portion is not so relevant to the concept of religion but it does set the analogous properties of the poem as a whole. The idea of farming the circle of life in which crops are planted and grown and they are harvested. When they are harvested they reap seeds, which are then planted. The seeds grow into plants and the cycle repeats and repeats until the end of time. The main concept of the religion of Hinduism is the idea of reincarnation so the poem shares similarities of their main concepts between the cycle of harvesting and reincarnation. This is how the poem is representative and analogous of religion. Speaking of society the poem is representative of the great prairie farmers of the United States. The poem was written around this time and Whitman looked to the west for inspirations of this poem. The poem shows the harvesters and farmers of society during the time period and is representative of these men and women of the time period. The main concepts of the poem are religion, and the cycle of life and society. The reader must dig to unearth the concept of spirituality in this poem, but underneath the surface it is evident in it's relationship to the Hindi concept of reincarnation. In reference to society Whitman uses the workmen of the fields as a basis for the society of the poem.

Journal #37: Whitman Response

Well in this paper about Whitman the author expresses sentiments that were similar to my own when reading Whitman initially. I still have mixed feelings on his writings and his poetry as a whole but I believe I am beginning to warm up to him. The authors states that he believes Whitman is an egotistical, narcissistic maniac. Initially this is how I felt, and I still do feel this way to an extent. The author seems to be taking the straight forward and literal approach to Whitman's work which makes Whitman seem like a self-obsessed fool. After reading deeper the reader learns of Whitman's concept of "self" and the author of this reaction to Whitman's work seems to neglect the deeper interpretation of Whitman's work taking the straight and narrow path of analyzing Whitman's work which on the surface does make a convincing case that Whitman was simply an egotistical nutjob. If the author of this reaction would have analyzed the work and known what Whitman had been talking about then maybe he would have no been so critical of his works, but in his defense most people would not initially look for the deeper meaning behind the poem and only scratch the surface of his works. If one were to do this then they would easily miss the deeper meaning of Whitman's "Self" and simply see that Whitman was a crazy old man with a beard who thought he was the greatest man in the world with none even comparing to him. I have mixed reactions on the author's take on Whitman's work as I agree with him on some points and yet still find myself doubting when it comes to Whitman altogether. The whole egotistical aspect comes into play with me and I am not able to quite grasp the concept of Whitman's spiritual "self" but hopefully with time I will open up to the idea and be able to fully understand the concept of Whitman's work.

Journal #36: Favorite Meal, Yum!

I like food, just gonna throw that out there to establish my love of dietary stuff and what not. So anyway I do like me some food, and as an added twist I am a vegetarian. My favorite meals are usually organic and what not so you get to enjoy reading about that. One of my favorite meals is a delicious spicy black bean Morning Star soy burger and this thing is just succulent. I mean how one could not enjoy it is just beyond my comprehensible ability. As a side I usually grab some yogurt (strawberry banana for the win) and eat that as well with my brilliant burger (he's got a PHD in delicious.) I usually grab a piece of fruit, while I'm eating usually a kiwi because those are the greatest fruits known to man. As one of the final steps I grab some cashews or soy nuts and I'm basically all set. That's basically my favorite meal in the world because it just tastes so delicious it is beyond comprehension. I mean it's just like an explosion of deliciousness in my mouth. Finally to drink with it all I usually just grab a glass of milk to wash everything down because milk is both delicious and good for you. Anyway that's my favorite meal of all time and I mean how you could not like it is just not possible. It's both delicious and great for you. That's just a plain and simple fact, because nobodies taste buds can not like that stuff. Seriously it is one of, no, THE best meal you could ever eat in your entire existence. There are so many crazy flavors just interacting and going freaking crazy that is just makes your taste buds explode with awesome. So yeah, that's my take on food and my most favorite meal in the entire freaking galaxy. Morning Star just makes some of the best food in the universe. Anyway yeah you should go eat that meal right now because you would just love it.

Walt Whitman and Self

Whitman was one of the most influential poets in American history. Throughout the course of his lifetime Whitman wrote several poems and was acclaimed for his poetry. He is regarded as the great American poet and has been compared to Shakespeare in his writing ability. His most iconic use of symbolism and representation in poetry was his use of "self." Through several of his poems Whitman explored the use of "self" and coined a new use of the term.

In his poem "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" Whitman writes of his identity crisis and his difficulty in discovering who he is in lines like "As I stood on the rising ground in the breeze in the cool transparent night, as I watch'd where you pass'd and was lost in the netherward black of the night, as my soul in its trouble dissatisfied sank, as where you sad orb, Concluded, dropt in the night, and was gone." This line aptly describes the trouble Whitman is going through at this point in time at discovering who he was. Something in his life was confusing him and he could not straighten it out and thus he went outside and looked into space when the night sky was filled with stars. He had lost a lover and was confused in his life and thought he had no direction and no motivation in his life or as a person.

Yet another famous poem of Whitman's "Excelsior" explores the concept of "self" and reveals much about the author through Whitman's exploration of his own being. With lines like "And who benevolent? For I would show more benevolence the rest; And who has projected beautiful words through the longest time? By God! I will outive him! I will say such words, they shall stretch through longer time!" In this poem Whitman reveals his confidence and his finding of self. He is confident and capable and knows his abilities well. He shows some signs of arrogance and vows to reach for the stars for he will outdo all humans who came before him.

Through poems such as these Whitman reveals much about himself and mainly his state of mind when he wrote these poems. Obviously at the time of writing "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" it shows that he was getting out of a relationship or was struggling with his identity trying to discover who he was. With "Excelsior" we see that Whitman has overcome this crisis and has affirmed his identity showcasing his confidence in his self and his identity. Through his poems Whitman was able to convey his "self" to his readers and allow them to discover themselves through his own identity.

Whitman, Walt. "WHEN LILACS LAST IN THE DOORYARD BLOOM'D. (Leaves of Grass [1891-1892])." The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 23 Feb. 2011. .

Whitman, Walt. "EXCELSIOR. (Leaves of Grass [1867])." The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 23 Feb. 2011. .

Journal #35: Action News Reporter!

I think being a news reporter in a war would be exciting and very frightening. Living in the trenches with the soldiers would give you a much more accurate report of the war and the battles themselves, and allow me to write a much more accurate portrait of the war itself and how the soldier's lives were like. I don't think I would really enjoy myself in a war environment because I would be frightened and unable to really report all that well in such an environment. I would probably become friends with many of the soldiers and losing any of them in combat would be difficult because I would see my friends cut down in front of my eyes. It would not be much different from being a soldier but not having a weapon would probably make me a little jumpier than everyone else and more susceptible to getting shell shock and all of that good stuff I suppose. I really don't know what else to write about. But yeah all in all being a news reporter who lived in the trenches and like Frank West I would have covered wars ya know? So anywho being in war would be difficult with all the bombs and gunfire constantly surronding you and creeping in your ear as you sleep to surprise attacks. I don't think I would enjoy being in a war but whatever I really don't care that much in all. I'm really bored. More accurate facts and pictures of the war would be advantageous but still I don't really think it would be worth it in the long run because of the psychological trauma and being surrounded by death and all that bad stuff. This had better be three hundred and twenty five words at this point or I will be sorely upset. Yea but war is bad and being a journalist on the front lines would be difficult to handle and unenjoyable all in all. That's all I have to say about that.

The Works of Paul Dunbar

Paul Lawrence Dunbar was the son of two freed slaves and an African American. A regionalism writer famous for his use of African American dialect in his poems, often with the central action occurring in the deep south and focusing on African Americans, who never had an opportunity for education and thus their pattern of speech and dialect sounded unrefined to the untrained ear, but their language added some color to otherwise bland sentences or descriptions, which was one of the reasons Dunbar used the dialect in his writings. His focus on setting and dialect, mark him as akin to the African American Mark Twain and he was famous for his use of dialect in his poems and stories, which like Twain sets Dunbar in the regionalist category for his use crucial use of dialect and setting that serve to introduce and memorialize characters through distinctive speech patterns that allow readers a more vivid portrait of the action occuring and visualizes the characters.

Regionalism is defined by Giles as, "It is generally seen as having two distinct strands: social realism (the recording of observable experiences of individual characters within distinct social classes) and psychological realism (the exploration of the hidden and complex workings of the conscious minds of individual characters)." Through his use of dialect and memorable identifiable characters Dunbar cemented his place as a regionalism writer although he neglects the pursuit of the American Dream and the atypical everyman characters instead opting for using the average African American standpoint on issues that reveal the mentality of the society of African Americans. Two of his poems "Douglass," and "We Wear the Mask" were not written in dialect because although Dunbar appreciated dialect, he thought that some poems simply sounded better in plain English and lost too much of their subject matter in translation from English to African American dialect, while with others it added in certain twists and descriptions that would otherwise be lacking in the English version.

With lines from "Douglass" like, "For they strong arm to guide the shivering bark, The blast defying power of thy form, To give us comfort through the lonely dark (570.)" and lines from "We Wear the Mask" like "Why should the world be over wise, In counting our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while We wear the mask" Dunbar clearly marks the African American point of view. In his first poem he sends a message to the ghost of Frederick Douglass calling upon his help in the African American communities need of guidance and assistance revealing the mentality of the African Americans and their respect for Douglass. In the second poem to veil their emotions from their white overlords the blacks "wear a mask" that cover up their true emotions and fool the whites into thinking that everything is fine. Through his use of setting and revealing the society of African Americans, Dunbar reveals his regionalist roots and tendancies and he and his works plant themselves firmly as regionalist works to be remembered for the ages, due to their ability to reveal so much about a society through simple poetry and language.

Giles, James R. "realism." In Anderson, George P., Judith S. Baughman, Matthew J. Bruccoli, and Carl Rollyson, eds. Encyclopedia of American Literature, Revised Edition: Into the Modern: 1896–1945, Volume 3. 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= EAmL1326&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 16, 2011).

Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "Douglass." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 570. Print.

Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "We Wear the Mask." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 571. Print.

I Will Fight No More Forever

Chief Joseph was the leader of Nez Perce during the attempted evacuation of from their land by the US military. His very short story "I Will Fight No More Forever" tells the heart wrenching tale of the abysmal conditions the Nez Perce were put through when the United States military attempted to forcefully relocate them and put them in a government run preservation. Because of the bleak, depressing, and shockingly truthful nature of the story it is categorized as a naturalist piece of work using common themes and characteristics of naturalism stories.

As defined by Sommers, naturalism is "naturalism was a literary movement based on the writings of the scientist Charles Darwin, author of Origin of Species (1859). More specifically, naturalist authors were largely interested in maintaining Darwin's suppositions that human beings were soulless creatures, "merely higher-order animals," bereft of free will, whose mannerisms and behavior resulted primarily from their heredity and the influences of a capricious environment (Abrams 261)." With these ideas in mind it is simple to see how "I Will Fight No More Forever" falls into the naturalist category with the theme of despair and the trail of destruction and misery that seems to tread on the Nez Pearce tribe. Joseph writes of the intense despair of the people who follow him and miserable conditions they must put up with in lines like, "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. No one knows where they are--perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead (553.)" The content of this line explains the dire situation the Indians were facing, and the all but real situation they were in due to the tyranny and injustice of the US military and their unjust actions they were taking against the Indians.

Unlike most naturalist settings that were written about life in the city and revealed the abysmal conditions of some of the lower parts of the city such as the slums, "I Will Fight No More Forever" reveals the abysmal conditions that some of societies lesser respected people were receiving because of their skin color, and the fact that most whites viewed them as an inferior race when compared with their own. Thinking they were "less than human" and not worthy of respect and proper treatment. This kind of racism had it's effects and the effects were revealed in Chief Joseph's writing, and his portrayal of the cruel injustices of the world that his people had to suffer through were enough to categorize his work as a naturalist piece. His use of the gritty truth shocked people due to the horrendous journey the Indian people were facing due to white greed and cruelty. Because of the revealing nature of the story with it's emphasis on reality and no mention of good or their chance for the American Dream the Nez Perce writer Chief Joseph cemented himself and his short story as a Naturalism masterpiece that would be remembered for years to come.

Sommers, Joseph Michael. "naturalism." In Maunder, Andrew.Facts On File Companion to the British Short Story. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CBSS450&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 16, 2011).

Joseph, Chief. "I Will Fight No More Forever." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 533

To Build A Fire

Jack London was one of the highest regarded naturalist writers in American history. Several of his works take place in cities and in bleak environments that highlight the terrible lives that the lower social classes who resided in the slums had to endure. One of his most popular pieces of work was his short story " To Build a Fire" which is the story of a man and his dogs in their attempts to survive in the bitter cold and attempt to escape, but as in most naturalist stories in which nature is portrayed against man nature came out on top and showed the all powerful nature of things not of human nature and why humans should not trifle with nor attempt to better nature, as in the end they have no hope of beating nature.

As defined by Quinn, Naturalism is "According to Zola, the artist must bring the scientist's objectivity to the depiction of his subjects. The motives and behavior of characters are determined by heredity and environment. The artists' task is to reveal the role of these factors in the lives of the characters." As evidenced in London's story the conflict between man and anture is evident in the man's attempted survival against the weather. The story documents a man and his faithful pet dog as they attempt to survive nature's harsh conditions in negative temperature conditions. They survive for a time before finally succumbing to the cold and perishing alone, ableit with each other. London is able to paint a convincing portrait of the cold in his descriptions of the weather, and the portrait of the despair and misogyny the man is experiencing as he travels through the snowstorm. As evidenced by his use of language in lines like, "There was nobody to talk to; and, had there been, speech would have been impossible because of the ice muzzle on his mouth. So he continued monotonously to chew tobacco and to increase the length of his amber beard." With his convincing use of the man's despair and continuing loneliness is shows the decreasing mental state of the man as his journey continues. Revealing the mentality of the character as well as demonstrating nature as a force not to be trifled with and to be left to it's own devices the work falls into the naturalist category.

Unlike most naturalist works the story is not set in the city and does not reveal the evils of the slums and the lower rungs of society, but instead goes for another popular viewpoint in which nature is the enemy of man, ut was not out to get man in the first place, it was only existing on it's own and once man attempted to take on nature he perished due to it's unconquerable nature and the ability it has to destroy unmercifully and force it encounters. These common characteristics of naturalism the story is grouped into the naturalism branch of literature and London cements himself as a literary force.



Quinn, Edward. "naturalism." A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gfflithem0538&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 17, 2011).


London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 603-614.

Spoon River Anthology

A master poet and popular realist writer, Edgar Lee Masters wrote Spoon River Anthology which most consider to be his magnum opus. The poem displays several typical realist traits, among them the American Hero and dream, and paints a convincing portrait of the society of the area and the mentality of the people residing there. Using a simplistic style and monologues from several different characters Masters crafts an enticing piece that successfully portrays a realistic work on the life and mannerisms of an entire town through his masterful poem.

Realism is defined as "denotes the idea of a narrative reflecting accurately the world around the writer and the lives of the people in that world—a reality taken to be self-evident and available through looking and listening and then recording the world as it is (Maunder.)" Through Masters use of plain language and several lifelike characters that express their own opinions, and emotions on matters Masters is able to convey a startlingly realistic piece with heavy emphasis on individual thought process that reveals much about the small community through the thought process of the entire town through individual thought processes. The sociology of the town is revealed by pieceing together excerpts from individuals through the story with use of lines like, "

One died in shameful child-birth,
One of a thwarted love,
One at the hands of a brute in a brothel
One of a broken pride, in the search for heart’s desire,
One after life in far-away London and Paris
Was brought to her little space by Ella and Kate and Mag—
All, all are sleeping, sleeping, sleeping on the hill"

Using his simplistic style of writing as evidenced his place as a realistic writer can not be questioned and through his use of plain language that the everyman can understand he made his work accessible to all audiences. He did not use dialect and speech patterns specific to a certain region, Illinois in this case, that would have alienated other readers and appealed to a narrower audiences instead taking the everyman route and not giving any characters speech differentiations instead aiming for a realistic take on the people giving them human emotions, wants, needs, and thought processes similar to those of everyone in the world. With his common thematic elements similar to other realistic works Masters was able to artfully weave in the lives and thoughts of the characters in his epic poem and seamlessly interweave them into the thought process of the entire town and reveal it as a society and the thought process and mentality of the entire society through exploration of key characters who were central to the exploration of the common man, whom Masters based his characters off of. His inspirations came from real people and thusly the characters on the pages are fleshed out to seem like real people a common element in realism that cements his epic work Spoon River Anthology as a realist work and seat Masters as a King among Realist writers.

Maunder, Andrew. "realism." Facts On File Companion to the British Short Story. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CBSS456&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 15, 2011).

Masters, Edgar Lee. "Spoon Rivers Anthology." Bartleby: Great Books Online. 2011. Online. http://www.bartleby.com/84/index.html. February 15, 2011.

Two Views of the River

Mark Twain is one of the highest regarded regionalism writers in US history. His novels were famous for their use of Missourian dialect and speech patterns and popularization of the stereotypical man from Missouri. He popularized the style of speech used in rural Missouri and painted convincing portraits of all of his characters through his masterful use of dialect. Growing up in Missouri had a large influence on the writer who set almost all of his novels and stories in Missouri, the most famous of which Hannibal, he put on the map. On occasion when not writing the dialect he would write of the immense beauty of the state and it's namesake river usually with focus of the narrator on a steamboat, one of his favorite things in the world. Through his masterful use of language and metaphors Twain is able to convey the natural beauty of the landscape.

His short story "Two Views of the River" was written about one of Twain's rides on a steamboat, a favorite activity of the author. The novel shows characteristics of regionalism as defined by Werlock, "A literary subgenre that emphasizes the setting, history, speech, dialect, and customs of a particular geographical locale or area, not only for local color, but also for development of universal themes through the use of the local and particular." Twain was almost fanatical of his love for his state and this bled through in his writing style where he would set almost all of his stories in or around Missouri. His short story is rare in that it did not use any dialect or Missourian speech patterns, it was only Twain's documentation of the emotions he felt as he rode down the Missouri on a steamboat.

With lines such as "A broad epanse of the river was turned to blood; in the middle distance the red hue brightened into gold, through which a solitary log came floating, black and conspicuous; in one place a long, slanting mark lay sparkling upon the water; in another the surface was borken by boiling, tumbling rings, that were as many-tinted as an opal; where the ruddy flush was faintest, was a smooth spot that was covered with graceful circles and radiating lines, ever so delicately traced; the shore on our left was dnesely wooded, and the somber shadow that fell from this forest was broken in one place by a long, ruffled trail that shone like silver, and high above the forest wall a clean-stemmed dead tree waved a single leafy bough that glowed like a flame in the unobstructed splendor that was flowing from the sun." Twain is able to convey the natural beauty of the Missouri River accounting for the importance of the setting and glorifying it for the reader making the river seem like one of the most beautiful things they will ever witness in their life. He is able to so masterfully paint this portrait that his praise for the region becomes clear and the make is easily categorized as a regionalism piece.

Twain, Mark. "from Two Views of the River." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 504-505. Print.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "regionalism." 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= Gamshrtsty0581&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 15, 2011).

he Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County

Samuel Clemins, more commonly known by his pen name Mark Twain was arguably the greatest regionalism writer in American history. Known for his influential novels following the famous characters of Tom Sawyer, and Huck Finn, Clemins popularized the Missouri region and fleshed out the dialect and speech patterns of the people in the region.

As regionalism is defined by Werlock is, "A literary subgenre that emphasizes the setting, history, speech, dialect, and customs of a particular geographical locale or area, not only for local color, but also for development of universal themes through the use of the local and particular." Clemins is notorious for his use of dialect when his characters speak and the outside narrator who recollects the entire tale to the reader while offering his own opinions of the region, its populace and their customs.

As evidenced through lines Twain wrote such as, "There was a feller here once by the name of Jim Smiley," and lines like, "Why, it never made no difference to him---he would bet on any thing---the dangdest feller (499.)" Twain is able to seamlessly flesh out his characters speech pattern with local words like dangdest and feller, to their use of double negatives to get their point across to the listener. Along with dialect Twain would almost always include something about the Missouri river and a steamboat, which was one of his favorite things to do growing up, watching the steamboats float down the peaceful waters of the Missouri as he demonstrates with this line, "his underjaw'd begin to stick out like the fo'castle of a steamboat...(500.)" The setting of the novel allows him to reference these standard characteristics that any local of Missouri would be able to recognize in an instance, and we are again shown his use of dialect through words such as fo'castle, a term for the upper deck of steamboats.

The characters in his novel are extremely identifiable due to the dialect and distinguishing characteristics that make his characters seem like real people. Made identifiable by distinguishing traits such as always having a pipe filled with tobacco and thus the character's speech was somewhat slurred by the pipe was a common idea used by Mark Twain when he wrote his characters. Common themes like these tied the characters together and gave them distinguished characteristics of the region that gave the setting and time period very important roles in the novel.

Through his use of dialect and speech patterns along with his regionally dependent characters Mark Twain was able to successfully paint a convincing picture of regions, mainly along the Missouri river, in his novels. These common characteristics paired with his writing talent land him among one of the most influential and highly respected American regionalism writers in the nations history. His novels put towns like Hannibal Missouri on the map and his short stories such as "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" are known for their regionalist traits. His abilities and talent are unrivaled to this day and he is regarded as an American great.




Werlock, Abby H. P. "regionalism." 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= Gamshrtsty0581&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 15, 2011).

Twain, Mark. "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 498-502. Print.

The Red Badge of Courage

Stephen Crane is consistently regarded as one of the greatest realistic writers in American history. Although he only lived to be 28 years old Crane is regarded highly for his realistic style and is most recognized for his novel The Red Badge of Courage in which a young recruit in the Union army becomes a military hero for his actions in combat. The novel is highly regarded for it's realistic coverage of the Civil War despite Crane being born long after the end of the war. With his emphasis on the nature of the combat and the gritty descriptions of the war in his novel. In fact Crane was so successful in his authoring of the story people are often misled into thinking Crane was a veteran who saw combat in the Civil War.

As Quinn describes Realism, "In art and literature, a term covering a broad range of views centered on the attempt to depict life as it is usually experienced, without recourse to miraculous events, larger-than-life characters, or supernatural intervention. In a realistic text, the emphasis is on the way things are for ordinary people, whose behavior and speech mirror their social position and cultural attitudes." Crane is able to successfully portray the unrelenting cascade of emotions that flood a soldier as the adrenaline pumps into his system heightening his senses beyond that of a normal man. His descriptions of the blood rush and the pure energy tat rushes through a soldier in those adrenaline filled moments is highly regarded and champions the writing style of the novel.

The main character of The Red Badge of Courage is a young 18 year old Henry Fleming, an American everyman. His harrowing journey documented his trials and his emotional growth and how the war changes this innocent young man. He does not desire the American Dream, only to truly discover who he is in this war and he successfully learns about himself and his abilities through his service.

Stephen Crane painted a vivid portrait of the war and it's battles through his words with lines such as, "He developed the acute exasperation of a pestered animal, a well-meaning cow worried by dogs. He had a mad feeling against his rifle, which could only e used against one life at a time. he wished to rush forward and strangle with his fingers. He craved a power that would enable him to make a world-sweeping gesture and brush all back. His impotency appeared to him, and his rage into that of a driven beast." Crane portrays the emotion of rage that Fleming feels in this passage as the adrenaline beats throughout his body, a feat that any realist would appreciate. His unparalleled ability to reveal the mentality of his characters and their thoughts and feeling at the time, similar to any of which a regular person has felt ranks his work among other realist stories and cements Crane as a realist author of unparalleled talent. His masterful writing style along with his ability to reveal the psych of characters and use of the everyman as a hero are common realist traits.




Quinn, Edward. "realism." A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gfflithem0706&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 15, 2011).


Crane, Stephen. "The Red Badge of Courage." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 493.

The Works of Kate Chopin

Kate Choplin was an early feminist writer in America. Her works were usually set in the deep south in Louisiana so one could argue the point that she was a strong regionalism writer but if the reader were to delve deeper into the words it would become evident of her realistic style. Most of her novels have female main characters and the novels explore the struggles they must go through and the hardships they must endure throughout their lifetime because of their gender. She writes as how things were for women in the period and how little respect they garnered from society. Her works explore these women working to make a change in society and attempting to overcome their disadvantages to achieve the American Dream.

As Werlock describes it, "Realism is the attempt to depict life as it actually exists, not as the author wants it to be in the present or the future, or imagines it was in the past. A realist carefully chooses details that illustrate this vision, unlike the naturalist who tries to include all possible details." Choplin was notorious for her depiction of life in Louisiana as it was and her novels revealed much about the society and their attitudes towards women at the time. For examples Choplin writes in this line from her novel The Awakening, "An indescriabable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish." This line describes this intolerable cruelty of how women were treated unfairly in olden society. The woman is having trouble keeping her emotions in check due to the vast amount of injustices that she must endure day in and day out as they are beginning to take her toll on her. The mentality of the character reveals the mentality of women in this culture and the attitude of others towards them as they were treated with less justice then the men.

One of her other works, a short story called "The Story of an Hour," is a story of an elderly woman who is told of her husband passing away and her difficulty in coping with this news, in the end she dies from a heart disease she had after receiving the tragic news. Chopin manages to create a tragic tale that shows how much women cared for their lovers and reveals much about the mentality of the aged lovers and how the women react when their husband passes away. The story documents the troubled, yet always prevailing relationship that Chopin wrote of with lines like, " And yet she had loved him---sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter!" The line reveals the tipsy turny nature of their love and yet once he is gone the woman realizes how strong the love between them was and shows the mentality of the character and the realistic nature of losing a loved one. With both of her stories Chopin is able to delve in the minds of women from different social classes, ages, and upbringings and reveal their character and the society that surrounds them, and these qualities land her as a realistic writer as opposed to a regionalistic writer.

Chopin, Kate. "The Awakening." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 491.

Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 554-555. Print.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." 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= Gamshrtsty0575&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 14, 2011).

The Works of Willa Cather

Willa Cather was an influential American author whose works often took place on the new frontier in America with novels like O Pioneers! and other such works as "A Wagner Matinée." Her works had great focus on the new frontier of the American West and most of her novels focused on the pioneers to the west and the new settlers. The focus on the new frontier in most of her novels has classified Ms. Cather as one of the most influential, and most important Regionalism writers in U.S. history.

One of her most important novels, O Pioneers! was written about a group of immigrant farmers around the turn of the 19th century. The novels documents their struggles of the family in the region after the death of the Patriarch of the family as the eldest daughter inherits the ranch and runs it herself. Through use of common characteristics of people in the western frontier of the United States the author manages to paint a convincing portrait of life on the prairie in the United States. Willa's use of lines in Op Pioneers! like, "Like most of their neighbors, they were meant to follow in paths already marked out for them, not to break trails in a new country." This line showcases how the settlers saw themselves as "breaking new trails" for their country. With use of the mentatlity of the characters like this the authors shows the pride the settlers held for their stature, a common theme in Regionalism, as Werlock writes, "A literary subgenre that emphasizes the setting, history, speech, dialect, and customs of a particular geographical locale or area..."

Another famous work by Cather, "A Wagner Matinee" was a short story written about the change a man's aunt had undergone after several years on the prairie. Cather uses familiar terms of the prairie such as, "...her linen duster had become black with soot...(520)." The duster was a long jacket that is associated with the prairie due to it's popularity with settler at the time. The author's incorporation of such familiar elements paints a picture in the reader's mind of the region the characters are in and the behavior and attitude of several characters based on their reactions to the item in question. Throughout her works for the sake of the reader's understandability Cather neglects to use dialect and speech patterns used in the west, but familiar terms that reader's associate with the west makes appearances that help associate the work as a regionalistic piece.

In both works Cather weaves in familiar idiosyncrasies of the western culture and the mentality of the prairie family by revealing the values and behaviors of the common pioneer of the west by exploring how the minds of her characters work in both Op Pioneers! and "A Wagner Matinée. Her works are common categorized as Regionalism pieces due to her attention on setting and mentality of her characters often giving them traits and characteristics familiar to people of that period. These are some of the reasons her works are considered to be in the Regionalism category.

Cather, Willa. "A Wagner Matinée." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 521-526. Print.

Cather, Willa. "O Pioneers!" Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 489.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "regionalism." 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= Gamshrtsty0581&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 14, 2011).

Letter to his Son

Robert E. Lee General of all Confederate forces in the Civil War was not a bad man as most people presume. He was a man tormented with peoples that most people faced and he had a family that he loved and cared deeply for. This letter was written as the southern states were beginning their secession of the union. Lee shows great despair and dismay over the breaking up of the Union and expresses his distaste for the future conflict he sees brewing. He expresses his contempt for the actions of the south but states that if the conflict should come to war that he would side with his native state and support them in their endeavors if nothing else than out of loyalty. His fierce loyalty and language used throughout the letter he writes to his son classify this work as a regionalistic piece.

As Werlock writes Regionalism is, "A literary subgenre that emphasizes the setting, history, speech, dialect, and customs of a particular geographical locale or area, not only for local color, but also for development of universal themes through the use of the local and particular." With line from Lee's letter such as, "...I shall return to my native state and share in the miseries of my people, save in defense, will draw my sword on none." demonstrates his fierce loyalty to his state and his hometown versus his loyalty to his nation. This expresses without doubt the notion that Lee more identified himself as a son of Virginia as opposed to an American whose duty is was to uphold the sanctity of the Union. Lee was a patriotic man and believed in everything that the Union stood for but he knew that he could do nothing to prevent is dissolution at the hands of succession.

His language throughout the letter is prim and proper with very little, if any at all southern dialect bleeding through to his writing. Although he did not use the same type of speech as his fellow southerners Lee expressed his fierce loyalty to the state despite his reservations towards helping the Union and expresses his clear desire to stay loyal to his state, which was a common theme and characteristic in southerner's attitude in the period. With the line "As an American citizen, I take great pride in my country, her prosperity, and institutions, and would defend any state if her rights were invaded (Lee.)" Lee demonstrates his fierce support of states' rights and his loyalty to the United States as a whole. His loyalty is the characteristic that ties in his writing to the regionalism style, because at the time loyalty to one's state over their loyalty to the federal government was a classic trait among southerners.

Although Lee did not use too much dialect of Virginians in his letter to his son he displays common characteristics of people in the state by displaying his fierce loyalty and believe in states's rights and independence. With these characteristics and themes at his side the work is categorized as a regionalistic piece.

Lee, Robert E. "Letter to His Son." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 385. Print.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "regionalism." 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= Gamshrtsty0581&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 14, 2011).

And Ain't I a Woman?

Sojourner Truth was a famous American abolitionist and woman's rights activist famous in the 19th century for her tireless work in the field of civil rights. Written in 1851 the speech was written to tackle the issue of women's rights that was up and coming along with the advancement of African Americans. Her struggles were extremely difficult due to her role as an African American woman. She was kept down due to both her gender and her race making her attempts to prove herself and gain equality extremely difficult.

her speech falls under the naturalistic style due to it's depressing, bleak, and unfair nature of the speech. Naturalism, as defined by Giles is "naturalism has been devoted to documenting, with apparent objectivity, the extreme experiences of characters existing on the margins of society. Like the so-called realists, naturalists are committed to documenting the surfaces of American life and to probing its concealed depths, but unlike realists, who most often treated recognizable middle-class lives, naturalists usually focused on the desperate existence of characters trapped in slums or in other oppressed settings." With these common thematic elements in play the writing style of "Ain't I a Woman" clearly falls into this category with it's message of despair and unfairness to the African American woman and the struggles they are forced to endure day in and day out.

Although with no set setting and no main character through the message and language uses throughout Truth's speech the themes of naturalism bleed through and become evident to the listener/reader. Truth's desire for the American Dream is clear, but with her race and gender she is all to aware she will never be able to achieve that dream, which makes for the bleak nature of the speech with the disgust for the populace at their unacceptable nature bases on a person's gender and race.

"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? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman? (Truth.)" This passage explores some of the injustices that occurred to Truth throughout her life. Most men of the period treated women properly albeit did not respect them. Because of her race however she was treated as nothing and had to live with the hardship of being both a woman and being African American. Her bitter and bleak style of this speech categorize the work as a naturalistic writing.

Truth, Sojourner. "Modern History Sourcebook: Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman."FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. .

Giles, James R. "naturalism." In Anderson, George P., Judith S. Baughman, Matthew J. Bruccoli, and Carl Rollyson, eds. Encyclopedia of American Literature, Revised Edition: Into the Modern: 1896–1945, Volume 3. 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= EAmL1255&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 13, 2011).

Slave Hymns

The slave hymns of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Go Down, Moses," "Keep Your Hand on the Plow" were all songs write that were to inspire slaves to keep on trekking in their terrible journey and that one day their labor would be rewarded and they would see the end of their work and revel in the fruits of their labor. While the slaves were working in the fields they were not allowed to speak on the field let alone sing. While in the dead of the night or while having their secret meetings in the bayous or the designated meeting points the slaves would sing these realistic song to inspire them and give them hope on their journey.

As Werlock writes "Realism is the attempt to depict life as it actually exists, not as the author wants it to be in the present or the future, or imagines it was in the past. A realist carefully chooses details that illustrate this vision, unlike the naturalist who tries to include all possible details." Using these themes and common elements the songs fall under the realism category.

Most slaves knew they would never see freedom in their time so they looked to the heavens for their inspiration and their hope. They thought that their escape from reality would be heaven and they would reap their rewards for their labor in the afterlife. These thoughts were the only things that propelled them on in their work and the promise of the afterlife was an enticing one indeed. Their songs told of their departure to the afterlife as this line from "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" demonstrates, "I looked over Jordan, and what did I see Coming for to carry me home A band of angels coming after me, Coming for to carry me home. If you get there before I do, Coming for to carry me home, Tell all my friends I’m coming, too. Coming for to carry me home."

The next song "Go Down Moses" is a comparative song that uses the story of the Jews in Egypt as a source of inspiration for the slaves. The song gives the current slaves hope by reminding them of the struggle the Jews had to endure under the Pharaohs and the promised land they received for their devotion. With the verse from this song "We need not always weep and mourn, Let my people go, And wear these slavery chains forlorn, Let my people go." This quote reminds the slave of the Jews previous struggle in a situation exactly as their and gives them hope that something better will come from their predicament.

With the final song, "Keep Your Hand on the Plow" the slaves were again reminded of their Lord's support. With the line, "Heard the voice of Jesus say, Come unto me , I am the way. Keep your hand on the plow, hold on. When my way gets dark as night, I know the lord will be my light, Keep your hand on the plow, hold on." the slaves are again reminded that their struggle is a hopeful one with paradise and eternal happiness being their reward.

Anonymous. - NetHymnal. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. .

Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." 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= Gamshrtsty0575&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 13, 2011).

Anonymous. "Go Down Moses (Let My People Go)." My HomewithGod Websites - 50MB of Free Christian Web Space. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. .

Anonymous. "Mahalia Jackson Keep Your Hand on the Plow Lyrics." Lyrics. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. .

The Works of Honest Abe

Abe Lincoln, the man with a plan for the nation, wrote several of the highest regarded speeches in American history and we was known as a charismatic man who could sway almost any crowd with his aura of command. His two speeches, "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865" and "The Gettysburg Address"were realistic pieces that inspired an entire nation during it's darkest hour and touched on numerous subjects, including liberty, justice, human equality, religion, and hope.

As Werlock writes, Realism is described as "the attempt to depict life as it actually exists, not as the author wants it to be in the present or the future, or imagines it was in the past." The depiction of a realist writer shows the world as it is and how it will be. Depending on the author their writings can be idealistic and hopeful, or depressing and bleak. The author's outlook has major say in the mood of the writing. Lincoln was an idealist and was very hopeful for the future of the United States. His speeches were thus very optimistic and hopeful with the future of the nation. The speeches were written in times of little hope for the Union as an entity because of the bitter battle of Gettysburg and the escape of Robert Lee for the "Gettysburg Address", while with the "Second Inaugural Address" things were looking grim due to the extensive nature of the war, and the nearly inexhaustible supply of morale the southerners had.

Written in 1863, "The Gettysburg Address" was a hopeful glimmer in the bleak outlook of the war. Lincoln used his masterful charisma to deliver was is arguably the most important speech in US history. "But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced (Lincoln)." This example shows the honor Lincoln holds for the dead, and how abominable war is, due to it's destructive and morbid nature. With both speeches Lincoln uses no figurative language delivering the facts plain and simple and telling the people to honor their dead and hold on to their hope.

In his "Second Inaugural Address" Lincoln wrote, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." He wrote of the indomitable will of the people united in cause against this common foe, their brothers, fathers, lovers, and friends. These speeches kept a positive outlook on a bleak and hopeless world and inspired an entire nation. With these common themes and the inspiration message of each they are categorized as realistic writings.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." 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= Gamshrtsty0575&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 12, 2011).

Lincoln, Abraham. "Abraham Lincoln: Second Inaugural Address. U.S. Inaugural Addresses. 1989."Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 12 Feb. 2011. .

Lincoln, Abraham. "The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln." NetINS Showcase. Web. 12 Feb. 2011. .

The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro

Written by the famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass the work The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro is best classified as a naturalistic peace for several reasons. Combining his bleak outlook on the holiday with cynical tendencies and his realistic and bleak outlook on the holiday for the average black man in America. Due to the prejudice and racism against blacks during this time period whites and blacks were kept separate and most blacks were no better than slaves working on plantations at this time. Slavery was still being practice in the southern United States and equality was non-existent in the northern states.

Naturalism is well known for it's approach to the bleak and realistic outlook of life, usually set in the cities in the bleak underbellies of spanning metropolises, but with primary characteristics being it's cynical outlook on life. As Sommers writes "A product of the late 19th century and sometimes seen as an extension of or successor to realism, naturalism was a literary movement based on the writings of the scientist Charles Darwin, author of Origin of Species (1859). More specifically, naturalist authors were largely interested in maintaining Darwin's suppositions that human beings were soulless creatures, "merely higher-order animals," bereft of free will, whose mannerisms and behavior resulted primarily from their heredity and the influences of a capricious environment (qt. in Abrams 261)." This quality of the story is evidence in several quotes throughout Douglass's writings especially in the quote "The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak to-day?" This quotation shows contempt for the white men who seek to hold Douglass down and deny his people their rights, and demonstrates his thoughts that men are no better than animals in their foolish selective treatment of their fellow man do to a simplistic trait like skin color is demonstrative of his naturalistic style.

These fearsome quotes by Douglass, that withhold his rage and contempt for those who hold back his people and deny them their equality demonstrates his naturalistic style. Although their is no real setting to this piece do to it being a speech, the primary and necessary characteristics of Naturalism are present and identifiable grouping this piece in with other naturalistic writings. Douglass and his fellow African Americans are denied their rights to the American Dream and their opportunity for the Pursuit of Happiness based on their skin color, and Douglass writes this piece centralized around the idea of how miserable watching others celebrate their freedom is for the average black person. Without touching too much on other topic aside from human equality Douglass was able to masterfully weave his charismatic speech into a naturalistic style to invoke empathy from readers and listeners of his work.





Frederick, Douglass. "Africans in America/Part 4/Frederick Douglass Speech." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 08 Feb. 2011. .

Sommers, Joseph Michael. "naturalism." In Maunder, Andrew. Facts On File Companion to the British Short Story. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CBSS450&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 8, 2011).