American Realism, Naturalism and Regionalism …（美国现实主义、自然主义和地方主义u2026）.pdfVIP

American Realism, Naturalism and Regionalism 1865-1914 Historical Context The industrial revolution that took place at the end of the 19th century changed our country in remarkable ways. People left rural homes for opportunities in urban cities. With the development of new machinery and equipment, the U.S. economy became more focused on factory production; Americans did not have to chiefly rely on farming and agriculture to support their families. At the same time, immigrants from all over the world crowded into tenements to take advantage of new urban opportunities. In the end, the sweeping economic, social, and political changes that took place in post-war life allowed American Realism to prevail. • roots of American realism lie in the experiences of the Civil War, the frontier, and in cities • rapid industrial growth in America (post-Civil War) and expansion (transportation improvements); change from agrarian (farming, rural) way of life to urban (cities) existence • changes brought problems: urban slums, farm issues, labor unrest • increased diversity in the nation: farmers, Native Americans, freed slaves, Chinese and European immigrants--all faced problems • the reality of the Civil War impacted peoples views; led to uncertainty about the future Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism American realists believed that humanitys freedom of choice was limited by the power of outside forces. At another extreme were naturalists Stephen Crane and Jack London who supported the ideas of the determinism movement. Both Mark Twain and Stephen Crane wrote in the Realist tradition. Realist literature, developed in the late nineteenth century, differs from Romantic literature because it attempts to depict life