Definition of Regionalism

Like naturalism, regionalism is a subset of realism. It can be used interchangeably with "local color" (Kasraie). One of its most famous authors was Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). He is viewed as one of the most important authors of regionalism, and his writing is seen as purely American in every way. His use of dialect, clothing, and customs makes it all American. This type of writing is about more than just that though. What makes a regional writing so is its clear focus on one particular location and its people. It used people who spoke, dressed, and acted as someone from the certain location would actually do so. It highlighted the true diversity of America. From the south to the north, east to west, every person is different. This is what regionalism focused on. More and more, writers who came from the south and west were beginning to gain fame. Previously, most authors had been educated and came from the East, like New York or Boston. This indicated the growth and population increase in the American West. This type of writing highlights the true diversity of America. The writer could be living in a largely German town, where his characters all eat German food, act in German customs, or talk in a German accent. This allowed people to know what people from different places were like, even if they had no idea where it actually was. Mark Twain was the first writer who wrote in American, actual American. Where others had written in English before, he chose to write in a way that was truly American, in the words he used, the actions they made, the clothing they wore, and many other ways. He wrote in vernacular, avoiding long or fancy words, as many realists did. Both naturalism and regionalism branch off of realism, and both contain many traits of realism. But only regionalism is so specific about the setting and details of the characters. This sets it apart from realism, even though both are very detail full, use vernacular, have an average character or man as the "hero", and both became popular around the same time, in the late 19th century.


Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., and Douglas Fisher. "Regionalism and Realism." Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 488-89. Print.


Kasraie, Mary Rose. "local color." In Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock, eds.Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Age of Romanticism and Realism, 1816–1895, vol. 2, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAmL0634&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 8, 2011).