"As I Watch'd the Ploughman Ploughing" is a very short poem by Walt Whitman containing only four lines, yet in these four lines about observing a farmer plow, sow, and harvest his fields, Whitman manages to insert ideas about his "Everyman" and Christianity.
Analyzing from the Christianity perspective, one can say that the farmer is God. He plows the field to give it shape, much like how God created the world in the Bible, sows the seeds to let them grow, similar to how God created humanity and gave it free will to grow in numbers, and then harvested the plants when they were grown, just like how God harvests the souls of people when they age and finally die to bring them to heaven (Whitman).
It can also be analyzed as the Holy Trinity, however, the ploughman being the Father, the sower being the Holy Spirit, and the harvester being the Son. In that way, the ploughman/Father plows the field/creates the world, the sower/Holy Spirit gives the plants life/gives new life to believers, and the harvester/Son saves the plants from rotting in the field/saves humanity from a pointless death (pointless death for vegetables being rotting in the field and not contributing to the circle of life) (Whitman).
The cycle of life and death is also an important part of this poem. The plants are sown as seeds, and they grow during their lifetime until they mature and are harvested (Whitman). This harvest kills them, but they go on to feed and nourish the farmer who plants more seeds (possibly even seeds from the plants themselves) to grow and continue the cycle (Whitman). The human cycle of life and death works the same way. We grow up, become mature, then spread our own seeds, so to speak, when we have children. Then we die, but we leave behind a new generation to continue on the cycle.
Since this cycle is the same for all living things, it connects them together, giving plants similarities to people and animals and so forth. In this way, it also connects every human, as we all trace the circle of life and death. Also, in using "I" in his poem, Whitman insinuates the Everyman as being "I" in that everyone watches these cycles and is a part of them (Whitman). Everything is connected.
Works Cited
Whitman, Walt. "As I Watch'd the Ploughman Ploughing." Leaves of Grass. The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. http://whitmanarchive.org.
2.04.2011
To Build a Fire
There is no doubt in any reader’s mind that Jack London’s short story, “To Build a Fire,” is the poster child and definition of Naturalism itself. Its attention to detail, lack of a happy ending, and man versus nature conflict all assure this avowal’s truth.
"To Build a Fire" is a story about a man, one of the many who went up to Alaska as a part of the Klondike gold rush, who finds himself traveling against the advice of seasoned veterans in temperatures below negative fifty degrees Fahrenheit (London 609). He ends up freezing to death because his fingers go numb, making it so that he is unable to start a fire in order to keep himself warm (London 611). However, the dog he has with him, who thinks traveling in such weather to be suicidal, lives and continues on to the camp they were heading (London 614).
The conflict itself makes this piece Naturalist. Naturalists often featured such man versus nature conflicts in their writing, often with nature winning in order to prove one of their major points: that man means nothing to the giant universe that sustains him, and that the universe gains nor loses anything in disposing of him. There is even a line within the story that makes this very clear.
The protagonists of Naturalist writings also shared similar characteristics with the protagonist of “To Build a Fire.” They were often people stuck in desperate and dire situations, either the slums and streets of poverty in the cities, or people caught in the most horrible natural situations one could find oneself in, just like this gold rusher. For those characters stuck in nature’s clutches, they also exhibit an arrogance or egotistical quality, thinking themselves too important for the universe to simply snuff out.
This is also shown in the gold rusher in the line, “He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances” (London 604). It asserts that while he is knowledgeable, he is still stupid enough to get himself caught in the upcoming situation. This, combined with the previously mentioned quote about man’s place in the universe, provides foreshadowing for the end result of the short story, which is the gold rusher’s death in the freezing mountains due to his own feelings of self assurance and overconfidence.
The final and potentially least significant Naturalist trait to be found in this short story is the fact that Jack London explains and describes some of the things in more detail than would entirely be necessary, such as on page 604 when the gold rusher calculates how long it will take him to get to camp, and what will be waiting for him there. While these do add to the story since later on he is delayed further and further from his original schedule, they also mark London as even more of a Naturalist because they believed that detail was also necessary in true Realism.
Works Cited
London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 603-14. Print.
"To Build a Fire" is a story about a man, one of the many who went up to Alaska as a part of the Klondike gold rush, who finds himself traveling against the advice of seasoned veterans in temperatures below negative fifty degrees Fahrenheit (London 609). He ends up freezing to death because his fingers go numb, making it so that he is unable to start a fire in order to keep himself warm (London 611). However, the dog he has with him, who thinks traveling in such weather to be suicidal, lives and continues on to the camp they were heading (London 614).
The conflict itself makes this piece Naturalist. Naturalists often featured such man versus nature conflicts in their writing, often with nature winning in order to prove one of their major points: that man means nothing to the giant universe that sustains him, and that the universe gains nor loses anything in disposing of him. There is even a line within the story that makes this very clear.
“It did not lead him to meditate on his frailty in general, able only to live within certain narrow limits of heat and cold; and from there on it did not lead him to the conjectural field of immortality and man’s place in the universe” (London 604).
The protagonists of Naturalist writings also shared similar characteristics with the protagonist of “To Build a Fire.” They were often people stuck in desperate and dire situations, either the slums and streets of poverty in the cities, or people caught in the most horrible natural situations one could find oneself in, just like this gold rusher. For those characters stuck in nature’s clutches, they also exhibit an arrogance or egotistical quality, thinking themselves too important for the universe to simply snuff out.
This is also shown in the gold rusher in the line, “He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances” (London 604). It asserts that while he is knowledgeable, he is still stupid enough to get himself caught in the upcoming situation. This, combined with the previously mentioned quote about man’s place in the universe, provides foreshadowing for the end result of the short story, which is the gold rusher’s death in the freezing mountains due to his own feelings of self assurance and overconfidence.
The final and potentially least significant Naturalist trait to be found in this short story is the fact that Jack London explains and describes some of the things in more detail than would entirely be necessary, such as on page 604 when the gold rusher calculates how long it will take him to get to camp, and what will be waiting for him there. While these do add to the story since later on he is delayed further and further from his original schedule, they also mark London as even more of a Naturalist because they believed that detail was also necessary in true Realism.
Works Cited
London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 603-14. Print.
Richard Cory and Miniver Cheevy
Edwin Arlington Robinson was very deep with his writings and was an excellent poet and Realist. He focused on the reality of human psychology in his poem “Richard Cory,” but with his poem “Miniver Cheevy,” he introduces a Realist protagonist as well as universal emotions from human psychology and nature. What sets him apart from other Realist writers, however, is the fact that he makes his protagonists, and thus his audience, the misunderstood people of the world who are misguided and do not know what it is that they want. While this audience is slightly more specialized than the audiences of such Realist writers as Kate Chopin, who wrote for women, and Paul Laurence Dunbar, who wrote for African Americans, it still works because even those people who have found direction in their life have, at some point in time, probably felt as lost and confused as the protagonists of Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poems.
Those are the last two stanzas of Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem, “Richard Cory.” In the previous two stanzas not shown, Robinson describes how Richard Cory was a “gentleman from sole to crown” and how he “was always human when he talked” and “fluttered pulses” when he spoke to people (Robinson “Richard” 575). Richard Cory is a well respected man, then, we can assume, and all the “common” folk wish to be just like him, so they save their money and work hard as shown in the line, “And went without the meat, and cursed the bread” (Robinson “Richard” 575). But when he goes an shoots himself in the head in the last line, one has to wonder what was wrong that he did not want to live anymore (Robinson “Richard” 575).
Obviously, being well respected, rich, and handsome was not what Richard needed, and because of this Robinson is able to speak to that selective audience who does not know what they want as well, making his poem very Realistic. It is also simple realistic because there are many people who seem to have everything anyone could ever want, yet they end up killing themselves as if their life were lacking somehow.
The second poem, “Miniver Cheevy,” also features a confused protagonist. Miniver finds himself not only unsure on the issue of money, but he also dreams romantically like many people do (Robinson “Miniver“ 576). His confusion is what allows readers to connect with him, as they have often felt or already feel the same questions, sorrows, and joys as he does, making this poem about him, along with many of Robinson’s other poems, Realist.
Works Cited
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Miniver Cheevy." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 576. Print.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 575. Print.
“And he was rich--yes, richer than a king--
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head” (Robinson “Richard” 575).
Those are the last two stanzas of Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem, “Richard Cory.” In the previous two stanzas not shown, Robinson describes how Richard Cory was a “gentleman from sole to crown” and how he “was always human when he talked” and “fluttered pulses” when he spoke to people (Robinson “Richard” 575). Richard Cory is a well respected man, then, we can assume, and all the “common” folk wish to be just like him, so they save their money and work hard as shown in the line, “And went without the meat, and cursed the bread” (Robinson “Richard” 575). But when he goes an shoots himself in the head in the last line, one has to wonder what was wrong that he did not want to live anymore (Robinson “Richard” 575).
Obviously, being well respected, rich, and handsome was not what Richard needed, and because of this Robinson is able to speak to that selective audience who does not know what they want as well, making his poem very Realistic. It is also simple realistic because there are many people who seem to have everything anyone could ever want, yet they end up killing themselves as if their life were lacking somehow.
“Miniver scorned the gold he sought,
But sore annoyed he was without it;
Miniver thought, and thought, and thought,
And thought about it” (Robinson “Miniver” 576).
The second poem, “Miniver Cheevy,” also features a confused protagonist. Miniver finds himself not only unsure on the issue of money, but he also dreams romantically like many people do (Robinson “Miniver“ 576). His confusion is what allows readers to connect with him, as they have often felt or already feel the same questions, sorrows, and joys as he does, making this poem about him, along with many of Robinson’s other poems, Realist.
Works Cited
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Miniver Cheevy." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 576. Print.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 575. Print.
Douglass and We Wear the Mask
“We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,--
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties” (Dunbar “We” 571).
This stanza begins Paul Laurence Dunbar’s stirring poem about the lives of African Americans, “We Wear the Mask.” It is critically acclaimed as a Realist poem because of how accurate it is in portraying the feelings of African Americans in the late 19th century, when it was written.
After being emancipated after the events of the Civil War, many African Americans still did not feel that they were truly free, or as Paul Laurence Dunbar puts it, that they had to wear a mask. In the South especially, they were still treated as second class citizens and had to hide their feelings of sadness and anger from the whites who oppressed their spirits, just as it says in the poem, “With torn and bleeding hearts we smile” (Dunbar “We” 571). Since all these African Americans felt this way, downtrodden and like they had to hide their true feelings even from each other so that they would not force their burden onto those they loved, Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem becomes a poem of Realism because he reveals the true feelings of a mass of people and connects to their feelings with this piece of literature.
Another way in which he connects to the audience is through his use of religion, however small, in the poem. Many African Americans of his day and age would have been very Christian, as the stories of freedom from bondage, equality, and a place where someday they would no longer have to toil and bleed appealed to the former slaves and their oppressed kindred spirits, and so adding the reference to Christ in the line, “We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries to thee from tortured souls arise” connects to the audience to an even further level (Dunbar “We” 571).
Another poem of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s, “Douglass,” written of course about the great Frederick Douglass, also connects to his black audience on similar levels as his poem “We Wear the Mask.” In this poem, lines such as, “We ride amid a tempest of dispraise,” and, “To give us comfort through the lonely dark,” reach out to the audience’s feelings of despair for how the African Americans are still oppressed and are seeking refuge from the storm of hate (Dunbar “Douglass” 570). Paul Laurence Dunbar also has a reason for choosing Frederick Douglass as the person for the poem to cry out to for help because Douglass was a very famous escaped slave who advocated emancipation for the slaves and was a very powerful orator. His presence empowered many of his fellow abolitionists with his strong yearnings for freedom for his people, so it is only natural that Dunbar and the other African Americans would want to call on him to help them fight for themselves again. Once more, this reaching out to the audience and having a subject matter that would pertain to their everyday lives makes this poem, like its brother, a member of the Realism family.
Works Cited
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "Douglass." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 570. Print.
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "We Wear the Mask." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 571. Print.
Spoon River Anthology
Edgar Lee Masters was a very famous Regionalist and Realist writer known best for his famed Spoon River Anthology. This collection of stories and poems speaks very deeply about the region he grew up in as well as tells universal truths that everyone can relate to. Here is a piece from one of the many poems in the book, titled “The Hill”:
The wonderful thing about this poem, and also about Edgar Lee Masters, is that while this poem has its Realist properties and was written for those situations happening to people in the late 19th century, it is at the same time a classical theme that has relevancy until the end of time, for there is no one yet who has managed to cheat death’s touch entirely. Everyone dies, and thus Edgar Lee Masters writes on a subject that touches everyone, regardless of race, sex, or creed.
So, as it was said, this part of the poem is about death because it becomes obvious very quickly that the line “sleeping on the hill” figuratively means that they are being laid in a grave on the hill (Masters). Also, as it was said before, the subject of death makes the poem relevant to everyone, and this gives this excerpt its Realist quality. It also contains some Regionalism found in the line, “One was burned in a mine” (Masters). Edgar Lee Masters grew up in central Illinois, near towns like Petersburg and Springfield, and mining was a common occupation in that area back in the 19th century. It was also very dangerous, however, so many people met their deaths in the mines due to natural gas or cave ins. Making one of the deaths as death in a mine, then, gives this excerpt a taste of central Illinois.
This excerpt, however, provides even more of a Regionalist flare to the poem. Fish frys were and still are a common way of getting friends and family together for some quality time in central Illinois since there are an abundance of lakes and rivers near Petersburg. Also, Abraham Lincoln is something that is very Regionalistic, as the area takes great pride in the fact that one of the country’s greatest presidents got his start in the humble and agrarian area of central Illinois. Therefore, both of these facts, maybe not all too noticeable, give the reader somewhat of an idea of what central Illinois is like, making this poem not only a Realist piece with universal themes, but a Regionalist poem as well.
Works Cited
Masters, Edgar Lee. "Spoon River Anthology." EReader.com. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. www.eReader.com.
“Where are Elmer, Herman, Bert, Tom, and Charley,
The weak of will, the strong of arm, the clown, the boozer, the fighter?
All, all are sleeping on the hill.
One passed in a fever,
One was burned in a mine,
One was killed in a brawl,
One died in a jail,
One fell from a bridge toiling for children and wife-
All, all are sleeping, sleeping, sleeping on the hill” (Masters).
The wonderful thing about this poem, and also about Edgar Lee Masters, is that while this poem has its Realist properties and was written for those situations happening to people in the late 19th century, it is at the same time a classical theme that has relevancy until the end of time, for there is no one yet who has managed to cheat death’s touch entirely. Everyone dies, and thus Edgar Lee Masters writes on a subject that touches everyone, regardless of race, sex, or creed.
So, as it was said, this part of the poem is about death because it becomes obvious very quickly that the line “sleeping on the hill” figuratively means that they are being laid in a grave on the hill (Masters). Also, as it was said before, the subject of death makes the poem relevant to everyone, and this gives this excerpt its Realist quality. It also contains some Regionalism found in the line, “One was burned in a mine” (Masters). Edgar Lee Masters grew up in central Illinois, near towns like Petersburg and Springfield, and mining was a common occupation in that area back in the 19th century. It was also very dangerous, however, so many people met their deaths in the mines due to natural gas or cave ins. Making one of the deaths as death in a mine, then, gives this excerpt a taste of central Illinois.
“Lo! [Old Fiddler Jones] babbles of the fish-frys of long ago,
Of the horse races of long ago at Clary’s Grove,
Of what Abe Lincoln said
One time at Springfield” (Masters).
This excerpt, however, provides even more of a Regionalist flare to the poem. Fish frys were and still are a common way of getting friends and family together for some quality time in central Illinois since there are an abundance of lakes and rivers near Petersburg. Also, Abraham Lincoln is something that is very Regionalistic, as the area takes great pride in the fact that one of the country’s greatest presidents got his start in the humble and agrarian area of central Illinois. Therefore, both of these facts, maybe not all too noticeable, give the reader somewhat of an idea of what central Illinois is like, making this poem not only a Realist piece with universal themes, but a Regionalist poem as well.
Works Cited
Masters, Edgar Lee. "Spoon River Anthology." EReader.com. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. www.eReader.com
I Will Fight No More Forever
One of the most brutal realities of the Realism period was that of the plight of the Native Americans. As Westward expansion continued and more and more white American citizens traveled west to brave the wilderness there, the government began to reclaim land that it had once given to the Native Americans, forcing them onto smaller and less desirable plots. Some tribes tried to resist, and these conflicts almost always ended in tragedy as U.S. troops massacred not only warriors, but women and children sometimes as well. These ordeals were brutal, and they broke the proud spirits of many Native Americans.
One such Native American was the famous Chief Joseph who tried to lead his Nez Perce tribe to safety in Canada before their group was attacked by U.S. troops and escorted to Indian Territory, or what is now Oklahoma. In his famous speech of surrender, the Realism is evident in the somber and defeated words of the speech “I Will Fight No More Forever:”
The Realism is definitely present in this piece. Chief Joseph recognizes how futile it would be to fight against the American army when there are so few Nez Perce compared to the thousands of soldiers in the army (Chief Joseph 533). He also realizes that his people, as well as himself, are tired, and with winter coming, there is no way that they could survive to continue fighting (Chief Joseph 533). If this speech had been Romantic, Chief Joseph would have spoken about the bravery of their ancestors and the pride of their spirits and how these things would preserve them against the forces trying to destroy them. However, this period was all about Realism, and even the Native American literature follows this pattern. Chief Joseph, therefore, makes his actions relevant to reality, and surrenders in order to save his people (Chief Joseph 533).
While this speech is mainly about Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce’s surrender and is more of a mainstream Realist piece, it can also be classified as a Regionalist work as well. Being a Native American in this time period, before the government tried to completely assimilate the tribes into civilized American society, Chief Joseph’s first language would have been the language of the Nez Perce. Even though he speaks this speech in English, however, it is obvious English is not his first language because he uses strange phrases like, “I know his heart,” and “I will fight no more forever” (Chief Joseph 533). Because he does not try to cover up these strange phrases that are a result of a direct translation from his native language to English, this makes his speech also have a bit of Regionalism in it.
Works Cited
Chief Joseph. "I Will Fight No More Forever." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 533. Print.
One such Native American was the famous Chief Joseph who tried to lead his Nez Perce tribe to safety in Canada before their group was attacked by U.S. troops and escorted to Indian Territory, or what is now Oklahoma. In his famous speech of surrender, the Realism is evident in the somber and defeated words of the speech “I Will Fight No More Forever:”
“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. Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever” (Chief Joseph 533).
The Realism is definitely present in this piece. Chief Joseph recognizes how futile it would be to fight against the American army when there are so few Nez Perce compared to the thousands of soldiers in the army (Chief Joseph 533). He also realizes that his people, as well as himself, are tired, and with winter coming, there is no way that they could survive to continue fighting (Chief Joseph 533). If this speech had been Romantic, Chief Joseph would have spoken about the bravery of their ancestors and the pride of their spirits and how these things would preserve them against the forces trying to destroy them. However, this period was all about Realism, and even the Native American literature follows this pattern. Chief Joseph, therefore, makes his actions relevant to reality, and surrenders in order to save his people (Chief Joseph 533).
While this speech is mainly about Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce’s surrender and is more of a mainstream Realist piece, it can also be classified as a Regionalist work as well. Being a Native American in this time period, before the government tried to completely assimilate the tribes into civilized American society, Chief Joseph’s first language would have been the language of the Nez Perce. Even though he speaks this speech in English, however, it is obvious English is not his first language because he uses strange phrases like, “I know his heart,” and “I will fight no more forever” (Chief Joseph 533). Because he does not try to cover up these strange phrases that are a result of a direct translation from his native language to English, this makes his speech also have a bit of Regionalism in it.
Works Cited
Chief Joseph. "I Will Fight No More Forever." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 533. Print.
The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County
Mark Twain, or Samuel L. Clemens, his lesser known name by birth, has always been celebrated and famous for his Regionalist stories of life in the South near the Mississippi River near which he had grown up. He wrote entire novels, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in the dialect of his native area, and he is probably the greatest as well as the most famous of all the Regionalist and Realist writers. While he did write as a Realist, his Regionalistic writings were what really got people’s attention. For example, here is an excerpt from a short story of his called “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” a story written richly with dialect:
“There was a feller here once by the name of Jim Smiley, in the winter of ‘49--or may be it was the spring of ‘50--I don’t recollect exactly, somehow, though what makes me think it was one or the other is because I remember the big flume wasn’t finished when he first came to the camp; but any way, he was the curiosest man about always betting on anything that turned up you ever see, if he could get any body to bet on the other side; and if he couldn’t he’d change sides” (Twain 499).
(TBC)
Works Cited
Twain, Mark. "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 498-502. Print.
“There was a feller here once by the name of Jim Smiley, in the winter of ‘49--or may be it was the spring of ‘50--I don’t recollect exactly, somehow, though what makes me think it was one or the other is because I remember the big flume wasn’t finished when he first came to the camp; but any way, he was the curiosest man about always betting on anything that turned up you ever see, if he could get any body to bet on the other side; and if he couldn’t he’d change sides” (Twain 499).
(TBC)
Works Cited
Twain, Mark. "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 498-502. Print.
Two Views of the River
Samuel L. Clemens, or Mark Twain, if one is to use his much more famous pen name, was known the best for his Regionalist stories about the lives of the American people who lived on or near the banks of the Mississippi River. However, he also did write things that had more of a true and mainstream Realist taste to them, things that did not have his added flavor of dialect and native history. One of these lesser known stories is a memoir he wrote about the Mississippi River after having worked on a steamboat up and down it for years. It is called “Two Views of the River,” and it shows a much more somber view of Mark Twain than what many people usually see.
“No, the romance and beauty were all gone from the river. All the value any feature of it had for me now was the amount of usefulness it could furnish toward compassing the safe piloting of a steamboat. Since those days, I have pitied doctors from my heart. What does the lovely flush in a beauty’s cheek mean to a doctor but a ‘break’ that ripples above some deadly disease? Are not all her visible charms sown thick with what are to him the signs and symbols of hidden decay? Does he ever see her beauty at all, or doesn’t he simply view her professionally, and comment upon her unwholesome condition all to himself? And doesn’t he sometimes wonder whether he has gained most or lost most by learning his trade?” (Twain 505).
This excerpt is from the end of the memoir, while the beginning of it describes Mark Twain’s excitement and wonder at the beauty of the mighty Mississippi River from when he had first begun to work on the steamboats, then how his views were rationalized as he learned that all that beauty really was just signs of warning for the steamboat operator, things to be heeded and forewarned of so that the boat could be piloted safely down the river (Twain 505). This feeling, the sentiment of disillusionment, is a sentiment that has probably always existed. Numerous people have experienced it, whether they be farm children moving to the big city with giant hopes of grandeur and prosperity or soldiers heading off to the battlefield hoping for honor and glory without expecting the pain and bloodbath. This makes it relevant to every audience, creating a piece that is timeless and touching at the same time, and thus giving it the label of Realism.
And while this piece does tend to stray more towards the pure Realism characteristics rather than those of Regionalism, it does have its tendency towards Regionalism. After all, the example that Mark Twain uses as the basis for this entire composition is that of himself working on the Mississippi steamboats. The steamboats, while used in many other rivers, were and are something very particular and unique to the Mississippi River, giving this piece its own Regionalist flavor despite its universal truths and somber attitude.
Works Cited
Twain, Mark. "Two Views of the River." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 504-05. Print.
“No, the romance and beauty were all gone from the river. All the value any feature of it had for me now was the amount of usefulness it could furnish toward compassing the safe piloting of a steamboat. Since those days, I have pitied doctors from my heart. What does the lovely flush in a beauty’s cheek mean to a doctor but a ‘break’ that ripples above some deadly disease? Are not all her visible charms sown thick with what are to him the signs and symbols of hidden decay? Does he ever see her beauty at all, or doesn’t he simply view her professionally, and comment upon her unwholesome condition all to himself? And doesn’t he sometimes wonder whether he has gained most or lost most by learning his trade?” (Twain 505).
This excerpt is from the end of the memoir, while the beginning of it describes Mark Twain’s excitement and wonder at the beauty of the mighty Mississippi River from when he had first begun to work on the steamboats, then how his views were rationalized as he learned that all that beauty really was just signs of warning for the steamboat operator, things to be heeded and forewarned of so that the boat could be piloted safely down the river (Twain 505). This feeling, the sentiment of disillusionment, is a sentiment that has probably always existed. Numerous people have experienced it, whether they be farm children moving to the big city with giant hopes of grandeur and prosperity or soldiers heading off to the battlefield hoping for honor and glory without expecting the pain and bloodbath. This makes it relevant to every audience, creating a piece that is timeless and touching at the same time, and thus giving it the label of Realism.
And while this piece does tend to stray more towards the pure Realism characteristics rather than those of Regionalism, it does have its tendency towards Regionalism. After all, the example that Mark Twain uses as the basis for this entire composition is that of himself working on the Mississippi steamboats. The steamboats, while used in many other rivers, were and are something very particular and unique to the Mississippi River, giving this piece its own Regionalist flavor despite its universal truths and somber attitude.
Works Cited
Twain, Mark. "Two Views of the River." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 504-05. Print.
The Red Badge of Courage
Stephen Crane was well known as a Naturalist even during his own time. Many would even go so far as to say that his works are the definition of Naturalism, as they consistently meet all the criteria for such a genre. Not only did they meet this criteria, however, but many of them went on to become very famous pieces of literature, such as his novel The Red Badge of Courage. Here is an excerpt from it that is a choice piece of the Naturalism that Stephen Crane wove into his story of war and reality:
“Following this came a red rage. 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 be 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 made his rage into that of a driven beast” (Crane 493).
There are many things in just this excerpt that align perfectly with the ideals of the subgenre, Naturalism. First of all, we know this character is a man, a soldier in the heat of battle, surrounded by all sorts of horrible, gruesome, and filthy things common to war, and there is no way for him to escape because he is a soldier. This is the first aspect of Naturalism fulfilled because often the protagonists of Naturalist pieces were characters whose lives were stuck in such places of utter vileness, and they often had no way of escaping these circumstances.
Secondly, we see this particular soldier’s reaction to the harsh reality and truth of war and the battlefield, and thus, probably many soldiers‘ feelings while caught in that ensuing and violent conflict.
(TBC)
Works Cited
Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 493. Print.
“Following this came a red rage. 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 be 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 made his rage into that of a driven beast” (Crane 493).
There are many things in just this excerpt that align perfectly with the ideals of the subgenre, Naturalism. First of all, we know this character is a man, a soldier in the heat of battle, surrounded by all sorts of horrible, gruesome, and filthy things common to war, and there is no way for him to escape because he is a soldier. This is the first aspect of Naturalism fulfilled because often the protagonists of Naturalist pieces were characters whose lives were stuck in such places of utter vileness, and they often had no way of escaping these circumstances.
Secondly, we see this particular soldier’s reaction to the harsh reality and truth of war and the battlefield, and thus, probably many soldiers‘ feelings while caught in that ensuing and violent conflict.
(TBC)
Works Cited
Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 493. Print.
The Awakening and The Story of an Hour
Kate Chopin was a very strong advocate of women’s rights and the first person, woman or otherwise, to write about the frustration women felt in being confined to the traditional roles of mothers and wives. She was known as a Realist for this reason because she used these frustrations as the psychology behind the female protagonists of her short stories and novels, which allowed her readers, mostly women, to sympathize with these protagonists because they too had felt the same exact feelings of confinement and longing for freedom without knowing why. The fact that women’s rights was becoming an issue of the time as well makes Kate Chopin’s work relevant to society, giving it even more of a Realist feel to it.
The main reason, though, as it was said, as to why Chopin’s works are Realist is her use of human psychology in her writing to connect with her female audience. Take, for example, this excerpt from her novel, The Awakening:
It is obvious that the woman sitting here crying is feeling indirectly oppressed by the fact that she had to become a wife and mother and that she could not have any other choice besides that. This would strike a chord with many other female readers who were bound to feel the same way, and it would also excite social change since the women’s rights movement had begun to pick up speed and momentum at that point in time. Therefore, not only would Kate Chopin’s novel help those anguished housewives identify their feelings, but it would also bring about change. This is how the novel would become a member of the Realism family because it was so very relevant to its current events.
Another works of Chopin’s, a short story called, “The Story of an Hour,” reflects similar themes. It is about a wife who is told her husband has died in a railroad accident, and her reaction, which is this:
The woman experiences freedom from the oppression and is overjoyed, but within the hour she comes face to face with her husband, actually alive, and dies from a heart attack at the sudden loss of this freedom (Chopin “The Story“ 554). Again, Chopin reveals the true nature of the anguish found in many housewives and provides a link between the female audience and the protagonist, and it is this link that makes her distinctly Realist.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 491. Print.
Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 554-55. Print.
The main reason, though, as it was said, as to why Chopin’s works are Realist is her use of human psychology in her writing to connect with her female audience. Take, for example, this excerpt from her novel, The Awakening:
“An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish. It was like a shadow, like a mist passing across her soul’s summer day. It was strange and unfamiliar; it was a mood. She did not sit there inwardly upbraiding her husband, lamenting at Fate, which had directed her footsteps to the path they had taken. She was just having a good cry all to herself” (Chopin “The Awakening” 491).
It is obvious that the woman sitting here crying is feeling indirectly oppressed by the fact that she had to become a wife and mother and that she could not have any other choice besides that. This would strike a chord with many other female readers who were bound to feel the same way, and it would also excite social change since the women’s rights movement had begun to pick up speed and momentum at that point in time. Therefore, not only would Kate Chopin’s novel help those anguished housewives identify their feelings, but it would also bring about change. This is how the novel would become a member of the Realism family because it was so very relevant to its current events.
Another works of Chopin’s, a short story called, “The Story of an Hour,” reflects similar themes. It is about a wife who is told her husband has died in a railroad accident, and her reaction, which is this:
“When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: ‘free, free, free!’ The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body” (Chopin “The Story” 554).
The woman experiences freedom from the oppression and is overjoyed, but within the hour she comes face to face with her husband, actually alive, and dies from a heart attack at the sudden loss of this freedom (Chopin “The Story“ 554). Again, Chopin reveals the true nature of the anguish found in many housewives and provides a link between the female audience and the protagonist, and it is this link that makes her distinctly Realist.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 491. Print.
Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 554-55. Print.
O Pioneers! and A Wagner Matinee
Willa Cather, being at the same time a Realist, is best known for her works concerning the lives of Midwestern folk, which thusly places her and her works in the Regionalist category of Realism. But this is not the only reason she is a Regionalist and Realist for her works show that all by themselves.
Take for example her novel, O Pioneers! Its story is about a family of Scandinavian immigrants who move out West like so many others as pioneers in the desolate terrene formerly dubbed the “American Desert” to take advantage of the cheap land and possibility of farming success. Willa, however, is very stark in her portrayal of it, as any true Realist should be.
In a short excerpt from the novel, she shows how two boys of the family, Lou and Oscar Bergson, attempt to make their life on the frontier work after the death of their father, John Bergson, but how they ultimately fail alongside most of the other farmers of their position and how they wish to go back to someplace more familiar and safe, such as Illinois or Ohio, where they know they could work, live happily, and not have to spur their imagination in order to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
This is an accurate view of the life of a pioneer because it is known that farming in such arid conditions was difficult and success on the frontier required much innovation and imagination for which the boys are obviously not prepared for. This accuracy, along with the fact that the boys are average folk facing common problems such a disappointment and failure, makes O Pioneers! a piece of Realist fiction.
Another work by Cather, this time a short story by the name of “A Wagner Matinee,” rings true with many of the characteristics of Realism and Regionalism.
(TBC)
Works Cited
Califano, Sharon Kehl. "O Pioneers!." In Werlock, Abby H. P., ed. The Facts On File Companion to the American Novel. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.fofweb.com.
Cather, Willa. O Pioneers! GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 489. Print.
Cather, Willa. "A Wagner Matinee." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 521-26. Print.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "'A Wagner Matinée'." 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. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.fofweb.com.
Take for example her novel, O Pioneers! Its story is about a family of Scandinavian immigrants who move out West like so many others as pioneers in the desolate terrene formerly dubbed the “American Desert” to take advantage of the cheap land and possibility of farming success. Willa, however, is very stark in her portrayal of it, as any true Realist should be.
In a short excerpt from the novel, she shows how two boys of the family, Lou and Oscar Bergson, attempt to make their life on the frontier work after the death of their father, John Bergson, but how they ultimately fail alongside most of the other farmers of their position and how they wish to go back to someplace more familiar and safe, such as Illinois or Ohio, where they know they could work, live happily, and not have to spur their imagination in order to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
This is an accurate view of the life of a pioneer because it is known that farming in such arid conditions was difficult and success on the frontier required much innovation and imagination for which the boys are obviously not prepared for. This accuracy, along with the fact that the boys are average folk facing common problems such a disappointment and failure, makes O Pioneers! a piece of Realist fiction.
Another work by Cather, this time a short story by the name of “A Wagner Matinee,” rings true with many of the characteristics of Realism and Regionalism.
(TBC)
Works Cited
Califano, Sharon Kehl. "O Pioneers!." In Werlock, Abby H. P., ed. The Facts On File Companion to the American Novel. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.fofweb.com.
Cather, Willa. O Pioneers! GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 489. Print.
Cather, Willa. "A Wagner Matinee." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 521-26. Print.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "'A Wagner Matinée'." 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. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.fofweb.com.
Letter to His Son
In “Letter to His Son,” the readers get to see a side of General Robert E. Lee that most do not ever consider about him. While he is known for his military leadership in the Civil War on the Confederacy’s side, many do not know that he expressed such reluctance to secede from the Union as he does in this letter to his son about the state of the country at that time. This is the reason why his letter is also very Realist, in that he does not express fanciful dreams as a Romantic would, but instead he talks about issues current to the time that the letter was written that involve not only the writer and receiver of the letter, but everyone in the country. In the letter, Lee writes on page 385 of the GlencoeLiterature book, “Still, a Union that can only be maintained by swords and bayonets, and in which strife and civil war are to take the place of brotherly love and kindness, has no charm for me.”
Of course, everyone knows that Lee was a famous general from the Civil War, which was about to rock the country at the time this letter was written in 1861. The Civil War was the bloodiest war to its date in American history, and it ended up effecting everyone in the nation in some way or another, a phenomenon known as “total war” (Dictionary.com). This makes the topic of it something extremely relevant, and whenever something is relevant and discussed in a logical fashion, it is also Realist.
Robert E. Lee was also himself an icon of Realism up until his fame hit him. He was just a soldier before the Civil War, which was a normal occupation that many people could relate to because either they themselves were soldiers or they were the wives, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, or friends of a soldier. He also would turn out to be well-respected because of the fact that he fought in the war, and all of these things make him, in turn, a hero of Realism.
But truly his views expressed in his letter to his son also make him Realist because they were probably views shared by more than just him in the South and North alike. While the two areas did in fact disagree on a number of things, such as states’ rights, slavery, and tariffs, there were probably a great amount of people who did not want to see the country torn in half over such issues because an agreeable solution could not be found. After all, back then, patriotic sentiment probably ran much higher than it may today, so people would want to keep their great country together instead of ripping her at the seams. Because of this majority fact, the views that Robert E. Lee expresses in his letter, found in such quotes as, “How [George Washington’s] spirit would be grieved could he see the wreck of his mighty labors!”, are not just singular views, but the views of a nation facing a major crisis, and that is what makes the letter a piece of Realist literature (Lee 385).
Works Cited
Lee, Robert E. "Letter to His Son." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 385. Print.
"Total War." Dictionary.com. Web. 16 Feb. 2011..
Of course, everyone knows that Lee was a famous general from the Civil War, which was about to rock the country at the time this letter was written in 1861. The Civil War was the bloodiest war to its date in American history, and it ended up effecting everyone in the nation in some way or another, a phenomenon known as “total war” (Dictionary.com). This makes the topic of it something extremely relevant, and whenever something is relevant and discussed in a logical fashion, it is also Realist.
Robert E. Lee was also himself an icon of Realism up until his fame hit him. He was just a soldier before the Civil War, which was a normal occupation that many people could relate to because either they themselves were soldiers or they were the wives, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, or friends of a soldier. He also would turn out to be well-respected because of the fact that he fought in the war, and all of these things make him, in turn, a hero of Realism.
But truly his views expressed in his letter to his son also make him Realist because they were probably views shared by more than just him in the South and North alike. While the two areas did in fact disagree on a number of things, such as states’ rights, slavery, and tariffs, there were probably a great amount of people who did not want to see the country torn in half over such issues because an agreeable solution could not be found. After all, back then, patriotic sentiment probably ran much higher than it may today, so people would want to keep their great country together instead of ripping her at the seams. Because of this majority fact, the views that Robert E. Lee expresses in his letter, found in such quotes as, “How [George Washington’s] spirit would be grieved could he see the wreck of his mighty labors!”, are not just singular views, but the views of a nation facing a major crisis, and that is what makes the letter a piece of Realist literature (Lee 385).
Works Cited
Lee, Robert E. "Letter to His Son." GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 385. Print.
"Total War." Dictionary.com. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.
And Ain't I a Woman?
“And Ain’t I a Woman?” is a very witty and to the point speech that was given by Sojourner Truth at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in 1851. In it, she makes many good points that are helpful in the arguments for having both rights for blacks and rights for women, and the way she does this makes it fun to listen to her and also keeps it simple so that most any audience can see what she is trying to say. It is this down to earth attitude throughout the speech and its pertinence to the original audience that group it as a piece of Realist literature with some Regionalism because of her dialect.
This dialect is very obvious in its origins to anyone who knows anything about Sojourner Truth. It stems from the fact that she was an escaped slave and adopted the dialect of most Southerners, white and black alike. You can recognize the dialect when she uses words such as “ain’t” and “honey,” when addressing someone, and also when she shortens words such as “because” into simply “’cause” (Truth 370). Lots of public speakers in today’s modern society choose to adopt a different dialect, usually the standard “Midwestern” accent, in order to conform to a more normal sounding crowd, but Sojourner Truth proudly displays her heritage through her speech, thus making her part Regionalist.
The Realism in her speech, though, comes from the subject matter itself. She was indeed talking to a group of people at a women’s rights convention in Ohio about what another speaker, a man, presumably a preacher, was saying to the crowd against women’s rights. She says that he claimed that women need to be taken care of and helped into carriages and over mud puddles and things similar to that (Truth 370). She retorts that nobody ever does any of these things for her, even though she is a woman. She then also says that he says that women can’t have rights because Christ was not a woman, to which she replies that Christ came from God and a woman, and that men had nothing to do with him (Truth 370). She also encourages the women by saying, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again” (Truth 370).
The reason these things make her speech Realistic is because they are extremely pertinent to her audience. She speaks about women’s rights, and why women should have rights, but she is not speaking to a room full of conservative men. She is speaking to a crowd of mainly women at a women’s rights convention who are looking for arguments to use in favor of their cause, and she gives these arguments to them. Realism is all about things pertaining to the current situation or literature and art that activates social change, and this is just what Sojourner Truth’s speech does. Therefore, it is entirely appropriate and right to name her a Realist.
Works Cited
Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain't I a Woman?" GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 370. Print.
This dialect is very obvious in its origins to anyone who knows anything about Sojourner Truth. It stems from the fact that she was an escaped slave and adopted the dialect of most Southerners, white and black alike. You can recognize the dialect when she uses words such as “ain’t” and “honey,” when addressing someone, and also when she shortens words such as “because” into simply “’cause” (Truth 370). Lots of public speakers in today’s modern society choose to adopt a different dialect, usually the standard “Midwestern” accent, in order to conform to a more normal sounding crowd, but Sojourner Truth proudly displays her heritage through her speech, thus making her part Regionalist.
The Realism in her speech, though, comes from the subject matter itself. She was indeed talking to a group of people at a women’s rights convention in Ohio about what another speaker, a man, presumably a preacher, was saying to the crowd against women’s rights. She says that he claimed that women need to be taken care of and helped into carriages and over mud puddles and things similar to that (Truth 370). She retorts that nobody ever does any of these things for her, even though she is a woman. She then also says that he says that women can’t have rights because Christ was not a woman, to which she replies that Christ came from God and a woman, and that men had nothing to do with him (Truth 370). She also encourages the women by saying, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again” (Truth 370).
The reason these things make her speech Realistic is because they are extremely pertinent to her audience. She speaks about women’s rights, and why women should have rights, but she is not speaking to a room full of conservative men. She is speaking to a crowd of mainly women at a women’s rights convention who are looking for arguments to use in favor of their cause, and she gives these arguments to them. Realism is all about things pertaining to the current situation or literature and art that activates social change, and this is just what Sojourner Truth’s speech does. Therefore, it is entirely appropriate and right to name her a Realist.
Works Cited
Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain't I a Woman?" GlencoeLiterature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 370. Print.
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