Dwight D. Eisenhower once stated, "Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed-else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die" (Rather 1). The meaning of the term freedom is often open to interpretation, and can represent different meanings to different groups of people. Up until the Realistic time period, many Americans viewed freedom as being able to enjoy the rights given to them under the U.S. Constitution. They saw this concept as something they had already attained, not something that they had to strive towards. Many of them lived their lives based merely on emotion and did not take into consideration that all men were not treated equally according to their lifestyle. The Civil War altered the way Americans viewed life and shifted their emphasis from emotion to reason; this marked the beginning of the Realistic time period and transformed the American Dream into a longing for freedom.
While the Realist time period had many defining characteristics, the American Dream centered on freedom. Realism in America was an era which took place from the Civil War to 1914. This time period was set apart from the Romantic period in that the focus shifted to the common person instead of an over dramatized hero. Contrary to the previous beliefs of romantics, realists valued everyday life and events. They demonstrated this through their use of familiar speech and daily struggles (Arpin 457). According to Josh Rahn, "Students of the human mind were beginning to realize that an individual is composed of a network of motivations, interests, desires, and fears. [...] Realism, at its highest level, attempts to lay thes...
... middle of paper ...
...The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation. New York:
Oxford, 2003. Print.
Douglass, Frederick. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”. Elements of Literature:
Fifth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2008. 465-469. Print.
Lincoln, Abraham. “Gettysburg Address”. Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2008. 514. Print.
Rahn, John. “Realism.” The Literature Network. Jalic Inc., 2014. Web. 22 April 2014.
Rather, Dan. The American Dream: Stories from the Heart of Our Nation. New York:
HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2001. Print.
“The Rise of Realism:1860-1914.” IIP Digital. U.S. Department of State, 2014. Web. 22 April
Whitman, Walt. “A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim”. Elements of Literature:
Fifth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2008. 376. Print.
Need Writing Help?
Get feedback on grammar, clarity, concision and logic instantly.Check your paper »
- Influence of Realism on Literature After World War I, American people and the authors among them were left disillusioned by the effects that war had on their society. America needed a literature that would explain what had happened and what was happening to their society. American writers turned to what is now known as modernism. The influence of 19th Century realism and naturalism and their truthful representation of American life and people was evident in post World War I modernism.... [tags: Literature Realism]
2162 words (6.2 pages)
- Realism is the creation of the effect of that which represents the historical concrete nature of human life. It emerged as a result of the political and social changes as well as the scientific and industrial advances of the late 19th drawn from the context of their motivations, circumstances, environment, as well as cause and effects. In simple, it is the representation of common life. On the other hand, Naturalism can be defined as literature which attempts to use scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings.... [tags: Analysis, Human Life]
1947 words (5.6 pages)
- ... Procter finally takes a stand to gain his freedom, willing to die for his chance to be free. “Because it is my name. Because I cannot have another in my life. Because I lie and sign myself to lies. Because I am not worth the dust on my feet of them that hang. How may I live without my name. I have given you my soul; leave my name!” Through this, Procter is pleading to the court to spare him the little freedom he does have as a man, to leave him with his dignity as a person. He is sick of lying to save his own life.... [tags: slave, free, freedom, fear, illegal]
580 words (1.7 pages)
- There are two dominate aspects of Realism (Social Rules & Morality), and two dominate laws of Naturalism (Environment & Determinism), that comes into play in the American Literature stories of Daisy Miller ,Frank James, and Jack London. According to one authoritative source (Britannica), realism in its basic form in Literature is a literary style in which the author describes the reality of persons (people) in detail to resemble their actions, emotions, and environment. The strengths and weaknesses are blended in with the characteristics of their flawed personalities by not being completely good or evil, weak or strong.... [tags: American Literature]
1479 words (4.2 pages)
- The twentieth century introduced a new group of writers and artists who brought something new to the ever evolving style of realism. They took inspiration from other authors and painters, and this is evident in their works, but they still managed to put their own unique spin on it. William Dean Howells, George Bellows, Robert Henri, and Kurt Vonnegut are four notable realists whose works are still discussed today. William Dean Howells was an American novelist whose writing changed course to realism in his fifties with Tolstoy as his inspiration.... [tags: Novels, Culture, Life]
955 words (2.7 pages)
- The History and Theory of Magical Realism Magical Realism is one of today's most popular subjects in literature to discuss regarding its history and theory of Magical Realism. It began in the Latin culture and now is known word wide for its attributes. Magical Realism is even rivaling some of the great masterpieces of modern and past literature. Someday Magical Realism will be recognized and respected just as the classics are today. Magical Realism supposedly began in 1935 with its golden age occurring between 1940 and 1950.The Magical Realism of Spanish and Latin America can be somewhat attributed to the social, political, and European influence.... [tags: Literature Magical Realism Essays]
1041 words (3 pages)
- Magical Realism: Theory and History While reading Franz Roh, Angel Flores, Amaryll Chanady, and Luis Leal, I have learned many things about magical realism. I also learned that there are many different definitions for magical realism. I have learned that magical realism is not considered a fairy tale. Amaryll Chanady feels that magical realism is focused more toward reality. However, Luis Leal feels that magical realism is used to express emotions. While reading these essays and finding some research on magical realism, I found that many people have many different views on what magical realism is.... [tags: Magical Realism Literature Papers]
1746 words (5 pages)
- What it takes to make a man great is his foundation, training, and drive for the dreams that his mind ponders. Greatness is a term not often used with a name of one human being. Dwight Eisenhower was a great man, and I use that term in the most noble way. He was a man formed by his country like an artist forms a piece of clay. He was molded and fired for strength, but his inner soul has more meaning, such as a piece of Greek Sculpture that has been around for centuries. Most know him by the name of “Ike”, but very few know the man in the comforts of the White House, as he paces back and forth, or the long nights in the tent down in Africa fighting for his country in one of the most... [tags: Dwight Eisenhower Biography]
2069 words (5.9 pages)
- Magical Realism and Psychology "Magical realism was first used by the art critic Franz Roh to designate the pictorial output of the Postexpressionist period, beginning around 1925" (Leal 120). Later, this term was applied to forms of literature. This type of literature contains characteristics such as real and unreal elements, no hesitation, and hidden meanings. Given these and other characteristics, it is easy to see that magical realism can be applied to things outside of literature, such as psychology.... [tags: Magical Realism Literature Literary]
756 words (2.2 pages)
- Magical Realism as Applied to the Field of Psychology Throughout time, one finds many different categories of literature. Magical Realism, a relatively new category, seems to be one of, if not the most, controversial category of the last century. Magical Realism combines a magical, often grotesque, element with a reality based background and allows the reader to view life in a more profound way. The field of psychology, specifically the case of the Wild Child known as Genie, parallels very closely with the ideals of Magical Realism.... [tags: Magical Realism Literature]
665 words (1.9 pages)
- Advances in Technology Play a Significant Role in Understanding The Universe
- Colonial America: Founding the Dream
- Prenanatal Development: Expectant Mothers
- Networking and Telecommunication: Optical Communication
- The Holocaust and the Cambodian Genocide: Similar or different? How about Both?
- Positive and Negative Effects of e-learning for Students