Am Lit
Uploaded by skinnyminnie06 on Jun 25, 2007
As Romanticism left its mark, realism became the reigning model of American literature after the Civil War. Having the ability to view the world as it is is nevertheless a true and bona fide description. Over generations, it has continued to become a profound aspect in the world of literary consumption. As the many authors of time have come together to create such an intense realistic form, we as the reader have the opportunity to find close relation through word usage, symbolism, expression of theme, etc. The roots of realism lay in the American experience, in ordinary American life, as in the speeches of Cochise and Charlot. Between the idea that reality and naturalism can come together, creates an immense, yet natural reality. In the words of Thomas Hobbes, modern founder of the social contract tradition, life in the state of nature is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”. Through everyday occurrence and life experience we are able to identify with the works of flourishing, yet influential literary figures.
Although his story missed the publishing deadline to be included in Artemus Ward’s compilation of American Wild West sketches, first published November18, 1865, was Twain’s “ Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. As Twain is challenged to tell the story of “fat and bald-headed” Mr. Jim Smiley, he unquestionably exaggerates on every aspect of his life happenings. His ability to maintain the use of regional dialect of the west keeps the reader in the mind state of that time, therefore we are able to relate to the characters and have knowledge of actions that they carry out. This is shown as Twain states, “Why I’ve seen him set Dan’l Webster down here on this floor Dan’l Webster was the name of the frog and sing out, “flies, Dan’l flies!” and quicker’n you could wink he’d spring straight up and snake a fly off’n the counter there, and flop down on the floor ag’in as solid as a gob of mud, and fall to scratching the side of his head with his hind foot as indifferent as if he hadn’t no idea he’d been doin’ any ore’n any frog might do.”
“The Real Thing” is a short story by Henry James. Told by a painter, we learn that illusions have a tendency to display reality in a surreal form. In order to find the “real thing”, which refers to the family’s inherited power,...