If I was a reporter, I do not think that I would want to be in the trenches with the troops during a war. I know that truly dedicated reporters/journalists get involved in the thing they are reporting in someway, but because I do not have any desire to be a reporter or journalist, this holds no appeal to me. I do not want to be in the middle of a riot in Egypt (like the wonderful and allusive Anderson Cooper) or in the trenches during WWII. Because there's a really good chance that I would get hurt or killed and really, I do not think it's worth it. Anderson Cooper got punched in the face when he was reporting about the riots in Egypt, and then he had to go into hiding for awhile. That does not sound at all appealing to me, thank you very much.
I do respect the journalists that risk their lives to bring people in America an important story about what is going on in the world, because they are so passionate about what they do. But I do not think I would be able to put myself in that position, especially because there are even more bad things happening in recent times. There are reporters going to Egypt, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, and other very dangerous places to cover news stories for newspapers and news stations. They are willing to do this and are probably excited to do it as well, but I could not put myself in that position just to bring an interesting story to life.
However, live reporting really does bring a better story to the table in spite of the danger also involved. It is more interesting to hear firsthand accounts of things than just research or quotes and such. And I think that one of the reasons reporters are so dedicated to the story is that they know people will be more interested and want to learn more and maybe even get involved with things like Haiti and other devastating disasters.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Robinson's Works
The two poems written by Edwin Arlington Robinson titled "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy" both display the common characteristics that come along with Realism. The characters in the poems are fairly average and are really nothing special or amazing, which is a large part of Realism (Campbell "Realism"). The writing styles of the poems are also very simple and the thoughts conveyed are very to the point and easy to understand.
The hero in "Richard Cory" is the typical and definitely average person that is usually in Realism works. He is not an extraordinary person but rather simple and easy to relate to, because a lot of people reading these poems are like that, too (Robinson "Richard"). However, Richard Cory is not middle class person but is actually fairly wealthy. However, his financial gains do not really translate into the rest of his life because he is average in most other aspects (Robinson "Richard"). The main character of "Miniver Cheevy" is also an average person, so both of the works displayed that part of Realism (Campbell "Realism"). Even though Richard Cory is pretty average, the other characters in the story seem to think he is destined for much more than that, and that he could have anything he wanted. And then all of a sudden, Richard Cory kills himself by shooting himself in the head (Robinson). This was how the author proved that he was not a perfect person in the slightest, and that he obviously had a lot of problems.
In "Miniver Cheevy", the main character, Miniver, with fantasies about King Arthur and the Round Table (Robinson "Miniver"). He is very average, but uses his little fantasy as a way to add a little excitement to his normal life. Miniver feels like he is missing out on something that he will never really be able to get in his life. Despite his day dreaming and fantasies, Miniver realizes that he is just a normal boy and there was nothing he could do about it However, these day dreams start to consume Miniver and he is desperate to have something that he never could. Again, this story is very realistic because sadly, people really do kill themselves for reasons that seem silly to others that simply may not understand (Robinson "Miniver").
Despite having a lot to do with the Realism period, neither of these two poems have much of a connection with the Naturalism part of Realism. There is nothing to do with science and analytical thinking or philosophy in the poems. Regionalism is definitely not a big presence in the poems either. There is nothing to do with the setting or the region the stories take place in. Society is a presence in the stories, however. Society plays a big part on how both Richard and Miniver feel about themselves (Robinson). Human nature is brought into the poems because of what Miniver and Richard think and feel and how they handle their emotions.There are no substantial mentions of religion or government in the poems, and nothing about nature either. For Richard and Miniver, the American Dream to have something that is simply unattainable to either of them. There is no figurative, flowery language to soften up the story, nor are their happy heroes who get everything they want.
Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web 21 March 2010.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 575.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Miniver Cheevy." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 576.
The hero in "Richard Cory" is the typical and definitely average person that is usually in Realism works. He is not an extraordinary person but rather simple and easy to relate to, because a lot of people reading these poems are like that, too (Robinson "Richard"). However, Richard Cory is not middle class person but is actually fairly wealthy. However, his financial gains do not really translate into the rest of his life because he is average in most other aspects (Robinson "Richard"). The main character of "Miniver Cheevy" is also an average person, so both of the works displayed that part of Realism (Campbell "Realism"). Even though Richard Cory is pretty average, the other characters in the story seem to think he is destined for much more than that, and that he could have anything he wanted. And then all of a sudden, Richard Cory kills himself by shooting himself in the head (Robinson). This was how the author proved that he was not a perfect person in the slightest, and that he obviously had a lot of problems.
In "Miniver Cheevy", the main character, Miniver, with fantasies about King Arthur and the Round Table (Robinson "Miniver"). He is very average, but uses his little fantasy as a way to add a little excitement to his normal life. Miniver feels like he is missing out on something that he will never really be able to get in his life. Despite his day dreaming and fantasies, Miniver realizes that he is just a normal boy and there was nothing he could do about it However, these day dreams start to consume Miniver and he is desperate to have something that he never could. Again, this story is very realistic because sadly, people really do kill themselves for reasons that seem silly to others that simply may not understand (Robinson "Miniver").
Despite having a lot to do with the Realism period, neither of these two poems have much of a connection with the Naturalism part of Realism. There is nothing to do with science and analytical thinking or philosophy in the poems. Regionalism is definitely not a big presence in the poems either. There is nothing to do with the setting or the region the stories take place in. Society is a presence in the stories, however. Society plays a big part on how both Richard and Miniver feel about themselves (Robinson). Human nature is brought into the poems because of what Miniver and Richard think and feel and how they handle their emotions.There are no substantial mentions of religion or government in the poems, and nothing about nature either. For Richard and Miniver, the American Dream to have something that is simply unattainable to either of them. There is no figurative, flowery language to soften up the story, nor are their happy heroes who get everything they want.
Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web 21 March 2010.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 575.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Miniver Cheevy." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 576.
Dunbar's Works
"Douglass" and "We Wear the Mask" are both written by Paul Laurence Dunbar and also both demonstrate many of the traits of Realism, as well as some from Regionalism and Naturalism. These are both poems and they both have a sad edge to them. In "We Wear the Mask", Dunbar talks about the "masks" that people wear in the world to conceal what they are really feeling (Dunbar "We Wear"). Because of this, "We Wear the Mask" immediately seems like it will exhibit a lot of Realism, simply because everyone in the world knows what it is like to hide their feelings, thoughts, and emotions from people around them. "Douglass" also conveys Realism because Dunbar talks about how people used Douglass as a reassurance and as someone to look up to during the abolitionist movement of the mid eighteen hundreds (Dunbar "Douglass"). This is also relative to Realism because the people are looking for some kind of hero to look up to (Campbell "Realism"). Douglass resumes the role of the hero, in a way, and gives the people what they want (Dunbar "Douglass").
In "We Wear the Mask", Dunbar says that no one really shows the world who they really are, because they hide behind masks so that the world will see them in a certain way, and that people do not want the rest of the world to catch them with their guard down (Dunbar "We Wear"). Because of this, no one can really tell what a person is really like underneath the facade they present to the world and all the people in it. People can form opinions about each other, but they will never really know the truth. This is a very sad fact that could very well be true. There are plenty of people who never reveal themselves for who they really are, whether it be a good or bad thing. The emotions in the poem and the reality of how people present themselves make this very realistic (Campbell "Realism"). "Douglass" is part of Realism as well because, like I said before, Douglass was a sort of hero to people in the abolitionist movement while he was still a real, hardworking person (Dunbar "Douglass"). Douglass was the hero in Dunbar's poem, and probably rightfully so due to all of his work for women's rights and equality, as well as abolitionism.
Along with being pretty realistic, the poems both also have a tone of sadness. While they are very much a part of Realism, I do not think they can really be classified as Naturalism poems. There is no real scientific or analytical thinking involved, but there is also not a lot of emphasis on God or the idea of religion in general. They are both also emotional and they are in the moment, not looking toward the past or the future. Society plays a part in the two works, because they are portrayed in a couple of different ways. In "We Wear the Mask", society is not really reliable because everyone is apparently being fake in someway and not to be trusted(Dunbar "We Wear"). There was also no real connection to Regionalism, because Dunbar does not talk about specific places or settings, which is actually pretty common in poems like "We Wear the Mask" and "Douglass". The author does not place any significance on the setting, so the reader can infer that it is not important. Religion and government do not play a real part in the works either, except for a couple of mentions in "Douglass" because of the political part of abolitionism and women's rights.
Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web 21 March 2010.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm
Dunbar, Paul L. ""Douglass"/"We Wear the Mask"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 568-71. Print.
In "We Wear the Mask", Dunbar says that no one really shows the world who they really are, because they hide behind masks so that the world will see them in a certain way, and that people do not want the rest of the world to catch them with their guard down (Dunbar "We Wear"). Because of this, no one can really tell what a person is really like underneath the facade they present to the world and all the people in it. People can form opinions about each other, but they will never really know the truth. This is a very sad fact that could very well be true. There are plenty of people who never reveal themselves for who they really are, whether it be a good or bad thing. The emotions in the poem and the reality of how people present themselves make this very realistic (Campbell "Realism"). "Douglass" is part of Realism as well because, like I said before, Douglass was a sort of hero to people in the abolitionist movement while he was still a real, hardworking person (Dunbar "Douglass"). Douglass was the hero in Dunbar's poem, and probably rightfully so due to all of his work for women's rights and equality, as well as abolitionism.
Along with being pretty realistic, the poems both also have a tone of sadness. While they are very much a part of Realism, I do not think they can really be classified as Naturalism poems. There is no real scientific or analytical thinking involved, but there is also not a lot of emphasis on God or the idea of religion in general. They are both also emotional and they are in the moment, not looking toward the past or the future. Society plays a part in the two works, because they are portrayed in a couple of different ways. In "We Wear the Mask", society is not really reliable because everyone is apparently being fake in someway and not to be trusted(Dunbar "We Wear"). There was also no real connection to Regionalism, because Dunbar does not talk about specific places or settings, which is actually pretty common in poems like "We Wear the Mask" and "Douglass". The author does not place any significance on the setting, so the reader can infer that it is not important. Religion and government do not play a real part in the works either, except for a couple of mentions in "Douglass" because of the political part of abolitionism and women's rights.
Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web 21 March 2010.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm
Dunbar, Paul L. ""Douglass"/"We Wear the Mask"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 568-71. Print.
"Two Views of the River"
In "Two Views of the River", the author, Mark Twain, talks about the years that he worked on a steamboat. It is a more serious story than some of Mark Twain's other works, and it cannot really be classified as a real story. It was more like a lesson about having too much of a good thing and why this can have negative effects on your life (Twain).
The story begins with Mark Twain marveling at the beauty of the river and the sunsets and the nature surrounding him while he worked on the steamboat. However, over time, Twain kind of lost sight of enjoying the more simple things in life and no longer enjoyed the view of the river as much because it was old news. He could no longer see the vast beauty of the river as he had seen it before, simply because of how often he saw it (Twain). When the newness wore off, Twain no longer appreciated the beauty of nature for what it is because he was focused more on other things, such as his job. The beauty of the river became a day to day experience for Mark Twain, and therefore it lost some of its intrigue and mysterious aspects. Eventually Twain realizes what a shame it is that he no longer appreciates the wonder of the nature around him, and because he's already been "exploited" in a way, he will never see the river with the same awed reverence and innocence as he was able to before (Twain).
This story captures parts of Realism in a view different ways. Twain kind of becomes hardened by his work on the boat, which is something that is very common. People really do not appreciate all that they have until they realize they do not have it anymore. This practical loss makes the story seem easier to relate to and more plausible (Campbell "Realism"). Twain is upset about what he is missing out on, and that is something that happens to everyone at some point in their lives. We all lose litte parts of ourselves along the way, but those losses make us what we are today. This story can be classified as a piece of Realism simply because it documents the very common loss of youthful innocence that people go through in life (Campbell "Realism").
The descriptions of the river and the nature surrounding it give the story a touch of Naturalism in it as well, but there are no real philosophical roots or anything like that (Campbell "Naturalism"). However, because there is no real mention of God in the story, it can be perceived as Naturalism in that sense as well, along with some of Twain's more analytical style of writing in this story (Campbell "Naturalism").
Even though Twain is noted for what he does with Regionalism in his stories, there was not a log of Regionalism present in "Two Views of a River". He does talk a little bit about the setting and give some descriptions, but there is still not a lot of influence from the region (Twain). The dialect in the story could actually promote Regionalism a bit, but not substantially. Instead of talking about the traditions, customs, and way of life in the area, Twain talks more about the nature surronding the area.Religion and government are not at play in this story, but focused more on nature and what the main character was feeling (Twain). There is also not much to do with human nature and the American Dream, although you could make the arguement that Twain's dedication to his work on the steamboat could show that he was trying to live up to his own idea of the American Dream.
Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web 21 March 2010.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm
Campbell, Donna M. "Regionalism and Local Color Fiction, 1865-1895." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web. Feb 10 2011.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/lcolor.html
Twain, Mark. "Two Views of the River" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 504-05. Print.
The story begins with Mark Twain marveling at the beauty of the river and the sunsets and the nature surrounding him while he worked on the steamboat. However, over time, Twain kind of lost sight of enjoying the more simple things in life and no longer enjoyed the view of the river as much because it was old news. He could no longer see the vast beauty of the river as he had seen it before, simply because of how often he saw it (Twain). When the newness wore off, Twain no longer appreciated the beauty of nature for what it is because he was focused more on other things, such as his job. The beauty of the river became a day to day experience for Mark Twain, and therefore it lost some of its intrigue and mysterious aspects. Eventually Twain realizes what a shame it is that he no longer appreciates the wonder of the nature around him, and because he's already been "exploited" in a way, he will never see the river with the same awed reverence and innocence as he was able to before (Twain).
This story captures parts of Realism in a view different ways. Twain kind of becomes hardened by his work on the boat, which is something that is very common. People really do not appreciate all that they have until they realize they do not have it anymore. This practical loss makes the story seem easier to relate to and more plausible (Campbell "Realism"). Twain is upset about what he is missing out on, and that is something that happens to everyone at some point in their lives. We all lose litte parts of ourselves along the way, but those losses make us what we are today. This story can be classified as a piece of Realism simply because it documents the very common loss of youthful innocence that people go through in life (Campbell "Realism").
The descriptions of the river and the nature surrounding it give the story a touch of Naturalism in it as well, but there are no real philosophical roots or anything like that (Campbell "Naturalism"). However, because there is no real mention of God in the story, it can be perceived as Naturalism in that sense as well, along with some of Twain's more analytical style of writing in this story (Campbell "Naturalism").
Even though Twain is noted for what he does with Regionalism in his stories, there was not a log of Regionalism present in "Two Views of a River". He does talk a little bit about the setting and give some descriptions, but there is still not a lot of influence from the region (Twain). The dialect in the story could actually promote Regionalism a bit, but not substantially. Instead of talking about the traditions, customs, and way of life in the area, Twain talks more about the nature surronding the area.Religion and government are not at play in this story, but focused more on nature and what the main character was feeling (Twain). There is also not much to do with human nature and the American Dream, although you could make the arguement that Twain's dedication to his work on the steamboat could show that he was trying to live up to his own idea of the American Dream.
Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web 21 March 2010.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm
Campbell, Donna M. "Regionalism and Local Color Fiction, 1865-1895." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web. Feb 10 2011.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/lcolor.html
Twain, Mark. "Two Views of the River" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 504-05. Print.
"I Will Fight No More"
"I Will Fight No More Forever" was written by Joseph, the chief of the Nez Perce tribe. Even though the tribe is described as typically being a violent one involved in many battles, this speech in particular is about how Chief Joseph's desire to give up fighting, because he wants more time with his tribe and his family. The main reason this speech is a part of Realism is because the events in the speech are historically accurate and really did happen. Despite having some characteristics of Realism in it, the speech does not have much to do with Naturalism or Regionalism. There was a bit of Regionalism because it is a speech and Chief Joseph would obviously be talking in his own common speech and everyday vernacular. However, that is the only large part of Regionalism involved in the speech. There is also not very much Naturalism apparent in the story. Again, the only thing tying this speech into Realism is the historical accuracy and the events being talked about actually did happen in history. This is probably true for all speeches though, because if you talk about something in a speech you usually are talking about something you know a lot about from either firsthand accounts of something you have detailed greatly.
There is a little bit of government mentioned in the speech because of the conflicts going on between the American government and the Native Americans during this time period (Joseph). There were a lot of troubles and because of the government and their wrong doings against the Native American tribes. In his speech Chief Joseph talks about these things about how those events are causing a great deal of emotional problems as well as physical ones (Joseph). Again, Naturalism is not a part of the speech and there is little do with nature except for when Chief Joseph talks about the very cold weather and how it is effecting the tribe. However there is human nature involved in the speech because of the natural fight or flight instinct that all humans posses. Chief Joseph is losing his will to fight and is more occupied with the flight aspect of the scenario (Joseph). The American Dream also comes into play in the speech. Although the Native Americans have a different view of the dream than people in the cities do, they still had their own dream. They wanted to have a place of their own where they could safely raise their families and continue to thrive as a community (Joseph).
I do not like this speech was a very good representation of all of the categories of Realism. While there are little parts of Naturalism, Regionalism, and Realism, they are not hugely represented in the story and cannot be considered a very important part of the speech, and therefore the speech is not really a part of the Realism movement. The relocation of the Indians played a very important yet sad part of American History, and therefore there is a lot of historical accuracy especially because the speech was actually given by a Native American experiencing the hardships and confusion of the relocation and mistreatment of Indians.
Joseph, Chief. "I Will Fight No More." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. 533. Print.
There is a little bit of government mentioned in the speech because of the conflicts going on between the American government and the Native Americans during this time period (Joseph). There were a lot of troubles and because of the government and their wrong doings against the Native American tribes. In his speech Chief Joseph talks about these things about how those events are causing a great deal of emotional problems as well as physical ones (Joseph). Again, Naturalism is not a part of the speech and there is little do with nature except for when Chief Joseph talks about the very cold weather and how it is effecting the tribe. However there is human nature involved in the speech because of the natural fight or flight instinct that all humans posses. Chief Joseph is losing his will to fight and is more occupied with the flight aspect of the scenario (Joseph). The American Dream also comes into play in the speech. Although the Native Americans have a different view of the dream than people in the cities do, they still had their own dream. They wanted to have a place of their own where they could safely raise their families and continue to thrive as a community (Joseph).
I do not like this speech was a very good representation of all of the categories of Realism. While there are little parts of Naturalism, Regionalism, and Realism, they are not hugely represented in the story and cannot be considered a very important part of the speech, and therefore the speech is not really a part of the Realism movement. The relocation of the Indians played a very important yet sad part of American History, and therefore there is a lot of historical accuracy especially because the speech was actually given by a Native American experiencing the hardships and confusion of the relocation and mistreatment of Indians.
Joseph, Chief. "I Will Fight No More." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. 533. Print.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
"Spoon River Anthology"
"Spoon River Anthology" by Edgar Lee Masters definitely does demonstrate characteristics of both Realism and Regionalism, but not so much with Naturalism. The cemetery in Spoon River, which just so happens to be in the delightful state of Illinois, is the entire setting for the story and the very thorough description of the setting instantly gives the story parts of Regionalism. The story is really made up of a lot of different monologues, but the setting is still the same for each one and therefore gets quite a few descriptions even though there is not too much. And the setting is the only real tie between the different people giving the monologues for the story (Masters). There are probably some other same similarities between all of them, but the setting is definitely the biggest and most important one. More Regionalism is exhibited through the various dialect and characters that tell the story, although all of them do come from the Midwest their dialect and background differ slightly from tale to tale (Campbell "Regionalism"). Masters gives the story a lot of description but the cemetery is still not described in excessive detail; it mostly just seems that way because it is the setting for the entire story. The setting of a story is the main part of Regionalism, and something that makes "Spoon River Anthology" a part of the genre. The characters all share a pretty similar way of talking, most likely because they come from the Midwest and have a very neutral accent (Masters). The many different point of views that come into play in the story are a little hard to follow, but the writing and story and basically simple and to the point so it is not hard to catch up and realize what is happening.
This simple writing makes the story display Realism, because this is a major indicator of the genre (Campbell "Realism"). The characters are also pretty average, so this displays parts of Realism as well. If there really is a main hero in the story, which I do not really see, he or she would be completely average like most of the other characters in the story. The many viewpoints of the story also give a more realistic side as well because if the stories within the story happen to coincide together, then they can immediately be seen as more accurate because there is more than one person backing up the story line.
Despite displaying a lot of Realism and Regionalism, there is not a lot of Naturalism there, nor is there a lot of mention of government and religion or psychological influences. Naturalism does not play a key part in the story, but "Spoon River Anthology" is still definitely a work of Realism and Regionalism. The American Dream of the time period is briefly brought into the story because the people in the story are very real and there are things in their lives that they are working hard towards, and I think working hard to achieve what you want is a big part of the American Dream.
This simple writing makes the story display Realism, because this is a major indicator of the genre (Campbell "Realism"). The characters are also pretty average, so this displays parts of Realism as well. If there really is a main hero in the story, which I do not really see, he or she would be completely average like most of the other characters in the story. The many viewpoints of the story also give a more realistic side as well because if the stories within the story happen to coincide together, then they can immediately be seen as more accurate because there is more than one person backing up the story line.
Despite displaying a lot of Realism and Regionalism, there is not a lot of Naturalism there, nor is there a lot of mention of government and religion or psychological influences. Naturalism does not play a key part in the story, but "Spoon River Anthology" is still definitely a work of Realism and Regionalism. The American Dream of the time period is briefly brought into the story because the people in the story are very real and there are things in their lives that they are working hard towards, and I think working hard to achieve what you want is a big part of the American Dream.
Campbell, Donna M. "Naturalism in American Literature. " Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web. 11 Feb 2011.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/natural.htm
Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web 21 March 2010.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm
Campbell, Donna M. "Regionalism and Local Color Fiction, 1865-1895." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web. Feb 10 2011.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/lcolor.html
Masters, Edgar Lee. "Spoon Rivers Anthology." Bartleby: Great Books Online. 2011. Online. Feb 13 2011.
http://www.bartleby.com/84/index.htm
"The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County"
"The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" its written by the famous Mark Twain, who, let's face it, is basically the posterboy for Regionalism. He was a key author of the Regionalism movement, and is probably the most famous and recognized as well. He was very good at writing the local dialect for a story and keeping with the vernacular of the area (Campbell "Regionalism"). The characters in "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" speak with a Southern drawl, and do the stereotypical thing where they do not modify their verbs into the proper tense (Twain). Which, honestly, was often true in the real world, especially during Mark Twain's time. And people still do it now, which is actually really sad. There is a lot of this "local dialect", but that is a part of Regionalism that I definitely do not like, because it can be pretty diffucult to read things written by Mark Twain simply because the dialogue between the characters and because we are not used to that kind of speech (Twain).
Other elements of Realism are definitely present as well because events that happen in real life or that could easily happen are depicted, like jumping frog contests and the goofing off that the characters do. Jim Smiley took the form of the hero in this hero, at least in the terms of Realism, because he was very ordinary with both good traits and bad (Campbell "Realism").
But while Realism and Regionalism both play a large part in the story, Naturalism seems to be missing apart from descriptions of some nature that surronds the events of the story. There is also no substantial mention of God or any other kind supernatural or divine power, which honestly gives the story a more easy going quality because I think that stories that don't drag religion out into the open are more universal and often more entertaining and enjoyable for the reader.
Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web 21 March 2010.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm
Campbell, Donna M. "Regionalism and Local Color Fiction, 1865-1895." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web. Feb 10 2011.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/lcolor.html
Twain, Mark. "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 498-502. Print.
Other elements of Realism are definitely present as well because events that happen in real life or that could easily happen are depicted, like jumping frog contests and the goofing off that the characters do. Jim Smiley took the form of the hero in this hero, at least in the terms of Realism, because he was very ordinary with both good traits and bad (Campbell "Realism").
But while Realism and Regionalism both play a large part in the story, Naturalism seems to be missing apart from descriptions of some nature that surronds the events of the story. There is also no substantial mention of God or any other kind supernatural or divine power, which honestly gives the story a more easy going quality because I think that stories that don't drag religion out into the open are more universal and often more entertaining and enjoyable for the reader.
Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web 21 March 2010.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm
Campbell, Donna M. "Regionalism and Local Color Fiction, 1865-1895." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. Web. Feb 10 2011.
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/lcolor.html
Twain, Mark. "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 498-502. Print.
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