Journal #35:War Correspondent

I'm sitting next to a young man. He looks to no older than nineteen, still a child. He has a look of fear on his face, knowing what awaits him, but not knowing when it will come. We are in a complex system of trenches, about thirty miles outside of the nearest town. There are men yelling a few meters away, but John, for that's what he says his name is, doesn't seem to notice. He looks around, but doesn't seem to see anything. I ask him again, this time he seems to snap out of his thousand meter stare.
"How long have you been here? The Wagner Defensive line, that is? (This is the main defense against the Alliance).
"I'm not sure anymore. It seems like it's been years, but that can't be right."
"OK, next question then. Where did you come from?" (For the readers who have been under a rock for the last five years, there are multiple countries in the Multi-National Defense Force).
"I was in Canada, I think. At least that's where I was when I was called into service. But as to where I was born, I'm not sure."
"You're... not sure? I'm sorry, I don't understand."
"And you never will." He starts to get defensive. "The war destroyed my home and we fled to North America before we were killed by the men who were called the police. Then the MDF called on everyone to join up, so I did. What choice did I have?" He starts to yell. "You don't know what it's like. You're a reporter, you don't fight. You just write about it." He looks down, the anger draining from his voice. "Sorry. What's the next question?"
We continue for ten more minutes, when an air raid siren sounds. John gets a look of fear on his face. Before I can ask him anymore, he sits up and runs down the trench. He knows what's about to happen. I can hear a low buzzing sound now. In a few seconds it turns into a scream. I hear a man holler, "Incoming! Get your heads down!"
Before he can get the word "heads" out, a formation of three planes come falling out of the sky, and let loose their deadly cargo. The bombs hit the ground, an explosion throws dirt into the air. Men scream, and the cry of "medic!" echos all around. Now rifles start to fire, their quick staccato sound makes my ears ring. The sharp crack of the more powerful rifles punctuate the symphony of the battle. A machine gun opens up, adding even more noise a chaos to the battle. The burning smell of gunpowder fills my nose.
As I write this, dear readers, hell on earth surrounds me. I walk through the trenches in a daze, seeing the horror, but strangely not hearing anything. I look down to my left. Laying on the ground, is a man, missing his right leg, and a gaping hole in his stomach. I read the name on his uniform. PFC DOUGLASS. I don't recognize the name, but as I stand there, staring, he makes a noise, a gurgling sound. I see his face, burned and covered in black, his face partially charred away. I don't see anything at first, but then I realize I've seen his face before. It's John.
I can now tell what he is mouthing. Water. I look around for a canteen, in not finding one I try my best to convey my regret that I cannot grant his dying wish. I bend over, and grasp his hand. It's covered in blood. He smiles, and closes his eyes forever. I let his hand fall, but in my hand is a picture. It is somehow only partially burned. I looks like a young woman. On the back it says something, but I cannot tell what. My hearing comes back to me, a man is shouting at me to get down and crawl over to him. To safety. I do, and now I sit in a reinforced bunker, safe from the hellfire that consumes the ground above me.
This is war. This is what happens. This is what is happening now, as you sit on your couch, or eat your lunch, or watch t.v. Young men die in the thousands on the bloody fields of Hades. This is the pure, unadulterated truth. Remember the boys who keep you safe. Don't forget their names. Remember the sacrifice they made for you, and the freedom that you enjoy.

"I Will FIght No More Forever"

"I Will Fight No More Forever" is a speech that was written by Chief Joseph, who is of the Nez Perce tribe. Usually, the Nez Perce tribe tended to be somewhat inclined to fight, and therefore was one of the more warlike tribes. This speech, however, is about how Chief Joseph is giving up the fighting that he and his people went through. He says he wants to have time to look for his children and see how many he can find. This is a Realism speech mainly because the events in the speech actually happened. Also, because Chief Joseph wrote this as a speech, it was written in the vernacular with the intent to be devilered to an audience oraly. There is not really any form of Regionalism present in this speech, and there are not any defining characteristics of Naturalism. I really do not see how speeches are supposed to be able to be classified into Realism or not. Obviously if you are going to give a speech, you would be talking about realistic events. So one could come to the conclusion that all speeches would have to be at least somewhat Realistic.

This speech showcases what it was like emotionally, physically, and mentally for these proud people who had been reduced to running because it was their only other option. It really had become a sad state of affairs and I am not above blaming the feds. This speech was their formal complaint, delivered in a way so diplomatic that any outsider who heard it would not have realized what the subtext had meant. They were truly a devious people, something lacking in today's world. Realism is all about being true to the world around you and so on and so forth. Realism is really what is in this speech, real pain, real loss, real grief and sadness, written down and given to others as a way to share their grief and deal with their losses. It is almost never pretty and hardly ever will be. Real life sucks, that is just the way it is, and no one can change it. Realism is dealing with the hand you were dealt, not trying to cut a deal with the dealer or trying to buy your way out of anything. It won’t happen. Realism is the acknowledgement and acceptance of fate.

Chief Joseph's speech was a sad speech yet it was also inspiring in a way. Had he said that we will fight one more battle and hope that we all die instead of facing captivity as their no longer wanted pets, all of his people would have taken up weapons and faced the troops, taking as many as they could to the rainbow god. He talks about how everyone they loved is dead and how that they are running out of leaders who possess the wisdom that is needed in times like these (Chief). He goes on to talk about how sad and tired he and his heart are (Chief). Fighting is never relaxing on a body or mind. He just keeps emphasizing the point that his heart is tired and he knows what he must do to preserve the life of his people (Chief).

Edwin Arlington Robinson – "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy"

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. The writing styles of the poems are also very simple and the thoughts conveyed are very to the point and easy to understand.

Problems with society are present in both of these stories because the other people, whether in the town or in dreams, push each character into the ending of both stories. Cory commits suicide because of the envy the townspeople have over him and Cheevy can only dream of the places he could be because society has dropped him off at the bar, probably leaving him no money source or anything else to do all day. Once again, religion and government have nothing to do with either of these poems from Robinson. Nature is unimportant, also, even though it touches it briefly in "Richard Cory." Human nature, however, is important in both stories. Richard Cheevy is driven to the point of madness because of the suppressing atmosphere in which he lives. He is admired by so many people because of the things he had, but he does not like it or want it to continue; in general, huaman nature is difficult to describe.

The focus on the setting, the simple style, and the theme that comes from the focus on the setting combined with the characters are what make this a great work of Regionalism. The story of the people of a small, Midwestern town is the perfect way to display the characteristics of Regionalism as there are many things particular to the Midwest that can add to create a setting that embodies the entire theme of the story.

These works do not display any qualities of Naturalism. This is due to the fact that they do not involve any science or Social Darwinism. These works also do not belong under the category of Regionalism. This is due to the fact that they have nothing to do with describing culture, landscape, or vernacular. These works reflect society rather well. This is because they state the general truth that everyone wants something they cannot have. These works do not involve government or religion. Both works also do not involve nature. These works do not involve any aspect of The American Dream, and there is also no defined hero throughout the two works.

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. 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.

Masters, Edgar Lee. "Spoon Rivers Anthology." Bartleby: Great Books Online. 2011. Online. http://www.bartleby.com/84/index.html. February 15, 2011

Jack London — "To Build a Fire"

This writing by Jack London is definitely a realist work. It has large amount of detail written into it. It gives you the feeling of freezing to death, not very pleasant. The unnamed protagonist tries to fight nature, but he ends up dying. This is a characteristic of naturalism. Knowing what I do about Jack London, he writes in mostly this genre. This particular story takes place in what is now Yukon, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush. The protagonist is walking toward his stake, where his sons await him in the already built camp. He is a newcomer, and somewhat cocky at that. This is the attitude that pits him against nature, which is a common theme in all literature, but especially in the naturalism subset of literature. He knows that all he has to do is get to camp, and he'll be fine. Although he is a tenderfoot, he knows his stuff; he's not a novice. As he's walking along a creek that will take him to his camp, disaster strikes. He, up until now, had been careful enough to avoid the water that lay unfrozen, despite the negative seventy-five degree weather. But this patch lay well enough hidden to escape detection. He was only wet up to his knees, but in weather that cold that will kill very quickly. He stays calm, and successfully builds a fire, despite his growing numbness in his hands and feet. But once again disaster strikes when the built-up snow on a tree that he stupidly built his fire beneath falls on his infant fire, totally destroying it. He attempts to build a second, knowing that if he fails he will probably die. But because of his total numbness, he is unable to. Try as he might, he just can't do it. He remembers stories of men slaughtering their animals, and using their bodies for warmth. He even tries to kill his companion, a dog, but once again his numbness stays his hands from killing his dog. He tries to suppress the thought, but he begins to doubt himself, and he begins to think that he may not make it. But he isn't beaten yet, his stubbornness keeps him going, at least for a little longer . He runs for an unknown amount of time, trying to become warm, trying to get to camp, but ultimately he fails, and falls down into the snow. He finally accepts that he's going to die. That nature beat him. That he should have listened to the advise of the seasoned expert that advised him to not travel alone when it was colder than negative-fifty degrees. It ends like many naturalist works do, with man losing to nature. This story was written in the early 1900's, several years after the Klondike Gold Rush had started. This drew many unprepared miners to the north. This writing is fictional, but it could have easily been the story of one or many of the gold-hungry prospectors that flooded the Yukon valley in hope of striking big. This was the second large gold rush in America, and the one that had occurred fifty years earlier had left America hungry for more.


Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., and Douglas Fisher. "Regionalism and Realism." Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 603-15. Print.

Mark Twain – "Two Views of the River"

Realism and Regionalism are the main components of this work. Realism is present in the more analytical style of writing and the use of unembellished words. Fortunately, Realism is not as unadorned a writing style as Puritanism, but it is less flowery than Romanticism. Also a noteworthy characteristic of Realism that is present in "Two Views of the River" is the use of figurative language. Twain consistently compares his plight to that of a doctor. He no longer sees the beauty of the river, while a doctor cannot see the beauty of a woman for all the medical information running through his head. "Are not all her visible charms sown thick with what are to him the signs and symbols of hidden decay?" (Twain 505). This memoir by Mark Twain is a bit depressing as he goes on to describe how his favorite thing in the world, the river, has lost all of its magic and all the charm it once held for him as a boy. He has become embittered by it and no longer sees the beauty of life all around the river and the small ever-changing ways of a river (Twain). He remembers a sunset he once saw and remarks upon how beautiful he saw it one time, he remarks upon each feature of the scene, a dead tree, a floating log, a small whirlpool, an area of circling water, and the color of the sun (Twain). He then mentions about how he would remark if he saw the same scene today, he would merely look at it from a pilot's point of view, the log meaning a rising river, the sun's color meaning wind for the next day, the dead tree not going to be there as a friendly landmark much longer, and the circling of the water meaning it is starting to shoal up there and the whirlpool, a dissolving of a sand bar creating a change in the currents. Twain begins speaking about how he had once viewed nature as wonderful and beautiful; however, he had been naive and had not experienced many of the events he now had experienced (Twain 505). Now, instead of simply seeing the wonders of nature as beautiful and exotic, he now saw them for what they really were. Instead of taking nature for granted and not really thinking in depth about how or why things came to be, he had just accepted them as they were. Now, instead, he is beginning to see things for what they really are scientifically and realistically. 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

Twain, Mark. Two Views of the River. Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. Amerian Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 504-05. Print.

Paul Laurence Dunbar – "Douglass" and "We Wear the Mask"

In "Douglass", Dunbar basically illustrates the grief that has fallen on so many African Americans during this time. The lines "We have fall'n on evil days", "the awful tide that battled to and fro", "for thy strong arm to guide the shivering bark", and "to give us comfort through the lonely dark" are some of the stronger lines that really depict how African Americans at this time are being horribly oppressed and are in need of a strong force to help them through these dark times. Although Dunbar is focusing on the troubles of this era, his poem is written as to give those who read it motivation and strength to persevere and survive. Though is poem is very figurative, it still depicts the time as it really is and the manner in which African Americans are suffering. The only Naturalism quality these poems possess is that they are both narrated by a person who is apparently African American, making them a lower class person in a horrible situation. Regionalism is not in here at all, seeing as how a specific region is not mention, nor is that region described in detail. Realism is not a factor here either. Some characteristics could be found in a roundabout way, but they would be so insignificant to the overall tone of the poem. These two works does not possess any Regionalism either. Neither poem is attempting to promote one area or a certain regain, in fact specific places are not even mention in detail. These works reflect society. They reflected society throughout the warped perspective of the author. This perspective is rather bitter. There is nothing in these works regarding religion either. There is also little to no mention of government. There is also no mention of nature. There is not a whole lot of description throughout both poems. The American Dream was mentioned briefly. The American Dream mentioned is the wish for slavery to be abolished completely. There is also no hero involved or present in any of these works. 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 some way and not to be trusted. 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.

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.

Edgar Lee Masters – Spoon River Anthology

Edgar Lee Masters was somewhat ahead of his time period. He was a poet who wrote in the realistic style with overtone or regionalism while the style of the time was style Romanticism for poetry. His volume, Spoon River Anthology did well though and is still in print today. His poems in this work were about everyday things that happened but they were happy and upbeat while at the same time being very realistic. 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. 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. This simple writing makes the story display Realism, because this is a major indicator of the genre. 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. Another important characteristic of Regionalism that can be found in the Spoon River Anthology is the style in which it is written. Throughout the entire poem, the language and dialect is very simplistic, which adds to this being a work of Regionalism. The Midwest has a very simple vernacular, as there are not really words or styles of speaking particular to the area, unlike the South which commonly has a very strong vernacular. Overall, the Midwest has a dialect that is fairly easy to comprehend, which helps to make this poem even more simplistic. The use of this simple dialect in combination with easy to comprehend, simple sentences rather than the complex rhymes and patterns that can be seen in traditional poetry also helps to enhance the simplicity of this poem. External rhymes and scarce in this piece of literature, but this is not necessary as it is not the style of talking that is used in the Midwest. Masters does an excellent job of portraying the language of the Midwest, and matching the vernacular of the setting is a very important part of literature if the story is displaying the genre of Regionalism. Edgar Lee Masters was a very important author of works possessing qualities of Regionalism. His various works are interesting to read, combining the perfect amount of fact, fiction, and local flavor.

Masters, Edgar L. ""Spoon River Anthology" (or Excerpts From)." American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 514-17. Print.

Stephen Crane – from The Red Badge of Courage

Religion and government are not at all present in this excerpt. It makes sense that they would not be considering the situation. There is hardly time for anything in a battle, let alone government. The soldiers really probably only had time to say a quick prayer before their attention shifted to survival, and this excerpt is apparently after that time. The American Dream is also not wholly represented in this. The part about gaining glory could be found if you looked hard enough. This man obviously wants to prove himself, and it is driving him crazy that he cannot because apparently he is a coward. Nature is not described in this portion of the novel. This work fits in the Realism period, because it is accurate and historical, and shows how the main character is actually handling what is happening around him and how he is feeling in the very stressful situation. There is also a tone of Naturalism in the excerpt because the main character compares to parts of scientific studies and displays some analytical thinking. There are not really many parts of Regionalism in the story, because there is not a lot of emphasis on the setting and certain places in the story. It also does not promote any places or regions because there is not a lot of that involved in the story. Society does not seem to be a large part of the story either, except for society's interest in science and the workings of the human brain. Still, there is no mention of government, current events of the time period, political or social issues, or other issues of society. There is also nothing to do with religion or God, and does not show how people felt or thought, but rather how frustrated they were with the way they lived and with their imperfections. Being a member of the army during the Civil War, Henry Fleming enters the battle as a regular, run of the mill soldier going in to fight for a brief while and, most likely, die in a few minutes, but he survives much longer; in fact, he sees another brother in arms, the standard bearer, fall and chooses to take his place himself at the front of the front line. In this specific excerpt from Stephen Crane, the main character, Henry Fleming, is already in battle, trying to fight but being stopped by his fears and thoughts. "Presently he began to feel the effects of the war atmosphere - a blistering sweat, a sensation that his eyeballs were about to crack like hot stones. A burning roar filled his ears" (Crane, 493). Stephen Crane is probably one of the best known realism writers. I like his writing style because it is very descriptive but in some places there is a bit to much detail. This excerpt is centering on the main character as he starts to feel an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy it seems. Overall, this was a very good story, at least part of a story.

Crane, Stephen. "from The Red Badge of Courage." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 493. Print.

Kate Chopin — from The Awakening and "The Story of an Hour"

Government is a central issue in Chopin's work. Obviously women were being oppressed and out of this oppression rose the call for government to take some sort of action to act out against this oppression. Nature was not, however, a large part of these works. Adversely, these works showed that women during this time could only express their true opinions in private. The American Dream is quite prevalent throughout Chopin's work. These works show The American Dream of the silent minority during this time. There is no defined hero, but more or less a call for a her. This hero would most likely be anyone with the power to create equality for women. In "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin sounds like it sound be a very sad story- a woman learns that her husband was in an accident, and the reader immediately expects a lot of predictable sadness and angst. Instead, there is immediately a twist in the story, and the woman is actually relieved that her husband died. She is not really sad at all, but is thankful that he will no longer be able to control her life however he pleases and manipulate her every move. This immediately strikes me as Realism because a man controlling his wife in this way seems to be pretty accurate to the time period. Before the women's rights movement actually made any sort of impact on the country, men really were in charge of their wives and families and could technically exercise complete control over women. The woman in the story is rejoicing about finally being free of her husband...until there is yet another twist. Her husband comes back home, the woman is gripped with immense sadness, and she then dies. In the short story, "The Story of an Hour," Josephine, the character's friend, plays the part of the consoler, but the character does not wish to speak to anyone because it is human nature to shun others away when one is not "held together". Much like an increasing number of these stories, neither of Kate Chopin's works here have anything to do with religion or government. Her details contribute a lot to the story, and also bring up some exploring notions of human nature. The lines "She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep and continues to sob in its dreams" show both her talent for using detail, and the realistic display of grief and sadness that overcome people and human nature in the situations of losing loved ones. Like other writers of Realism, Chopin also uses nature in her story to convey her point and give the story more detail. Her description "She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares..." displays this and the relation between humans and nature, which is understandable (Campbell).

Chopin, Kate. ""The Awakening" & "The Story of an Hour"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 491+. Print

Mark Twain – "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County"

"The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" is written in a different and interesting way. The story itself is composed of two short stories. The first short story is about a man that had been asked by his friend to question locals about a man who calls himself Leonidas W. Smile. In this first story, Twain artfully describes the confusion between two men and their dialogues. The second story is next. The second story is about a man who calls himself Jim Smiley. The second story refers to the fact that Jim Smiley would bet on anything. This is silly and ironic because he never knew what the outcome would be, and he only won due to his good luck. While Realism and Regionalism both play a large part in the story, Naturalism seems to be missing apart from descriptions of some nature that surrounds 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. Society is also an important role in Twain's work. His characters try and try their very best to keep a steady form of income, but sometimes it just feels too difficult. Smiley, however, must have had some trouble finding work because he makes his money in only one fashion, by gambling. Luckily, though, Smiley has "practiced" so much that he wins most of the time, so, for him, this "work" really pays off. Wheeler, another character in "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County," talks about Smiley's success at horse racing, dog fights, cat fights, cock fights, bird fights, and finally bug fights, listing them in descending order by size, and how Smiley also bets on Parson Walker's preaching and his ill wife's chances of recovering. Clearly, religion is part of this story because he is even able to make bets against God himself. But, other than the mention of God, religion is not important in this story's main plot. Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" is a good example of Regionalism. As mentioned earlier in this blog, Mark Twain was a key author of the Regionalism movement. A pioneer of his field, if you will. He was one of the first authors to start writing in the local dialect. For Twain, his dialect was a lazy Southern drawl, and it shows in "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County". there are many examples of the local dialect, such as when Simon Wheeler talks about how Smiley "learned" a from to jump. People do not say that anymore- they say taught. Also in the lines, "There was a feller here once by the name of Jim Smiley in the winter of '49 - or maybe it was the spring of '50 - I don't recollect exactly..." (Twain 499) This local dialect is used so much as to become a nuisance. This was a common occurrence in Regionalism. "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" reads much like other works by Twain such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Government and religion are also missing from this story as well. It seems that these were not very important in Realism works.

Twain, Mark. "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County." Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Colombus: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 498-502. Print.

Willa Cather – from O Pioneers! and "A Wagner Matinée"

Both of Cather's works in mention involve both Realism and Regionalism. This is due to the fact that Cather is very keen on allowing the reader to know the hardships of the common man, yet, she also describes, and is true to, the region in which the works take place. The West is also mentioned in Cather's two works. "O Pioneers!" and "A Wagner Matinee" were both written by Willa Cather, and both also posses qualities of Regionalism, Naturalism, and Realism. In "O Pioneers!” the life of the Bergson brothers is depicted like it is some kind of biography. In plain and simplistic writing, the lives of two people are depicted in detail, giving information about things that are unimportant but still relate to the story as a whole. These insignificant and most likely unimportant details are common coming from authors of Realism, and Cather is certainly no exception to this. Also, the events that are depicted in "O Pioneers!" are interesting but could also happen in real life, especially in the past. These events are not really heard of now because our country has already reached the Western boarders, but events like these are still talked about by many people. But in the time period, the events were pretty common because Westward expansion really was a way of American life at the time due to manifest destiny and the quest for more land and influence. Her characters live their lives much the same as any pioneer of the time, living in the wild country of Nebraska, dealing with the very real hardships like drought, windstorms, thunderstorms, hail, buffalo stampedes, all things that ruin crops and various other trials such as coyotes picking off calves and foals, sometimes pigs. It was a very rough life, but some people are just made to be as stubborn and as determined to make it, like all of Willa Cather's characters. These stories are not so much part of the subset called Naturalism because they had nothing to do with nature's beings or how they interacted. So, Regionalism is still the best description to give to Willa Cather's works here. The section from "O Pioneers!" is focused on these Bergson boys and the harsh and unfair ways they had to live. These boys were farmers on new, prospective land out of the city, but the harvest had not been good, causing many of their fellow, neighboring farmers to declare bankruptcy and foreclose their land. The character of the narrator is very important to the story; it is written in first person and provides the window for which the reader can observe both the characteristics of the surrounding culture in Boston and Nebraska, and the attitude and feelings for which the narrator's aunt exhibits. Because of the way that Cather writes the narrator's observations, there are some that seem to be written by a distanced observer, and many that seem to be written by the actual character who is involved in the ongoing plot. "The overture closed, my aunt released my coat sleeve, but she said nothing... What, I wondered, did she get from it?" is a line that creates curiosity and shows that the narrator is limited to what he can observe, and can merely make speculations at a distance. However, the line "I understood. For her, just outside the concert hall laid the black pond with the cattle-tracked bluffs..." successfully explains what his aunt is truly feeling and why, making the narrator seems like a closely involved character.

Cather, Willa. ""O Pioneers!" & "A Wagner Matinee"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 489+. Print.

Robert E. Lee – from "Letter to his Family"

This is a letter that Robert E. Lee wrote to his wife, following the battle of Gettysburg. It contains many examples of realism, but where it really falls is naturalism. He makes mention of God many times throughout his writing. Although this is not a real characteristic of realism, the way he writes makes it a naturalist writing. He writes about how God rules our lives, and how we can really do nothing to go against what He wants. If God had wanted them to escape, they would have been able to retreat. If not, they would have been destroyed by the Union Army. Realism was a large part of the letter to Lee's family as well because he talks about his "native state" and how he will return to it no matter what. This depiction of an area gives further connection the genre and shows his dedication to the Confederacy, and there is also common speech in this because Lee is simply writing a letter to his family and is not very concerned with things like having common speech or not. A large amount of Realism is also evident in the letter from Lee to his family. Since this a letter written by Robert E. Lee himself, it is obviously pretty realistic and accurate because he was a very prominent political figure with the possibility of a bright future ahead of him. This means that the things he talked about in his letter were real issues that were of interest to him, making it extremely relevant to Realism. Although he would be a leader of the Confederate Army and would be a hero for awhile, Lee was also a very real person who cared about his family, their safety, and what happened in the world. Government is really only mentioned, too, because Lee talks about how if a war were to erupt, the government would fail to prove a useless and laughable force. The American Dream, however, did only appear in the form of an uncatchable dream. Lee has seen an America of peace and hopeful prosperity, and his Dream is for that beautiful America to show itself to the world. The word choice he uses, however, has little effect on the overall message or meaning of the work because he is not trying to make a point or win over its reader. So, Lee was quite free to speak how he wished to speak, which happened to be in the common vernacular of the time. Besides describing the government and historical content of Lee's time, he also explores the human nature by giving the reader some idea of what typical Middle-Class citizens must be feeling at this time of turmoil. "As an American citizen, I take great pride in my country... but I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than a dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything...". These words sum up the patriotism, fear, and passion that lie within Americans at this time, and successfully convey the overall feeling and human nature of this time period to the reader.

Lee, Robert E. "Letter to His Son." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 385. Print.

Sojourner Truth – "And Ain‘t I a Woman?"

Regionalism is very evident in her speech, probably more so than either Naturalism or Realism in general. Truth used the dialect of her region and this showed her upbringing as well because, as a black woman, she would not have received much education. Her message is very clear to the reader or to someone listening to the speech, but it is also obvious that Truth speaks in a different way than we do today. This is mostly because we have more opportunities for education but also because of where we live in America and specifically us in Illinois. The most obvious sign that Truth speaks differently than most people do today was immediately clear in the title; her use of the word "ain't", which is quite improper to use today. However, for a black woman in 1851, that was totally normal and therefore was a part of Regionalism by keeping with the common speech. Truth is also pretty relaxed in her dialogue and speaks rather freely to her audience.

This work fits in the Realism period because it is in the moment and not about the past. It looks forward to the future and concentrates on what could happen (Truth). It is realistic, and she made realistic demands and proved her point based on facts of what happened in the past, which reflects Realism (Truth). It does not fit in the Naturalism period because the speech was given with feeling and it portrayed everyone's feelings (Truth). It was not scientific, nor did it subject humans to animalistic tests and observations, so Naturalism has been ruled out (Truth). It is also not in the Regionalism period because it is not based on a certain region of the United States that wants more attention (Truth). While this work does not really have anything to do with religion, it has a lot to do with government and different issues of the time period (Truth). This speech, while it does not outright attack the government, fights to go against what the government was trying to do (Truth). She wanted rights for African Americans and women alike, and to do that, she needed to go against the government. Sojourner Truth wanted to be able to do everything that men could because that is what she had been doing her entire life, and she felt that since she gad done a man's work and them some, she deserved it (Truth). This speech does not talk about nature, unless her working in the fields would count, and there is not much about human nature (Truth). One could say that her whole speech was really about human nature because she was trying to change ideas that had come to pass because of her human nature (Truth). This also talks about the American Dream because one of the most basic American Dreams is equal rights (Truth). She wanted to achieve equal rights not just for herself but for many other people as well. She was a minority, but she did not want to be treated as such (Truth). There was not any figurative language, and there is not much talk about the Hero, but the Hero would be the one to give them their rights (Truth). Sojourner Truth was an important orator who wanted equal rights for everyone.

Truth, Sojourner. Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 368-70. Print.

Anonymous – "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Go Down, Moses," "Keep Your Hand on the Plow"

Human nature is partially displayed because the songs show how much the African Americans hoped for their freedom and how desperate they were to get it. The American Dream for them was almost the same because they wanted to have freedom more than anything. There was also a lot of figurative language. They called the South "Egypt", and the North was often either "heaven" or the "promised land". This was also about the stories of the Jews, because that was their situation as well. The "Hero" would be whoever their savior was that could help them achieve freedom. The real "Hero", however, was scarcely mentioned in these songs. African Americans had a hard life as slaves, but they stayed close by writing and singing songs together that gave them hope for a brighter future. The mention of God or any other higher power in these works also goes against Naturalism, which is a rejection of God and religion in general. These works are really songs, and the only connection I can really see between them and Realism is that slaves made them up because they had nothing else to do and did not like their masters. Another small connection between these works and Realism would be through Regionalism. The songs are in fairly common language and are fairly simplistic. Because they also probably originated from slaves in the South, you could make the argument that they portray part of the region. The songs were pretty much region specific because slaves did not have many opportunities to leave their master's plantation unless they were sold, bought their freedom somehow, or ran away. Freedom was a main topic to speak of in African American writing during this time period of Realism. Songs were probably the most popular versions of expressing their wanting of freedom because they were able to memorize the songs quite easily. Some songs tell of the treacherous journey over to America from Africa, however, many of the songs describe slavery and their desire for freedom. This desire of freedom can be accurately described as hopes for a better future. These songs do not belong in the subgenre of Naturalism. This is due to the fact that, while many songs did indeed involve nature, the songs do not involve about human beings as scientific specimen. Their songs do not belong in the Naturalism period because while they may involve descriptive words and nature, they do not talk about human beings as something to do tests on and study or about the decisions that humans make and why they do them. However, these songs could possibly fit into the Regionalism period because they may have talked about features that are unique to that area, but most African Americans did not want to dwell on where they were located, seeing as a majority of them were located on plantations. These works of Realist literature reflect activities and happenings from their time period. Their lyrics depict the pain and depression of slavery, and they show us how desperate the African Americans were to achieve their freedom. The works show us that the African Americans never lost hope or gave up, even though they were forced into things that could have killed them.

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., Douglas Fisher, Beverly Ann. Chin, and Jacqueline Jones. Royster. Glencoe Literature. New York, NY: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.

Frederick Douglass – from The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro

This literary work is a direct reaction and reflection to society during this time period. Written in 1852, slavery had yet to be abolished. This work also displays the perspective of people that were not in the wealthiest class. Douglass is expressing the frustration of African Americans around this time period. Douglass also expresses the feelings of utter hypocrisy slaves felt on the celebration of the Fourth of July. This work is more or less a reaction to the issue of equality or the lack thereof. At this time, many African Americans were still enslaved. This excerpt from "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" expresses the frustration with the nation many experienced at this time. America promised equality, yet African Americans did not experience this equality. Other than historical accuracy, I do not think that the story represents Realism, Regionalism, or Naturalism in many ways. Frederick probably spoke in an accurate dialect, which would represent Regionalism, that was not exactly conveyed in writing. As I said before, the historical accuracy of the speech goes along with Realism, but there was no real concrete connection to any of the movements. One important aspect of Realism is the "hero". The hero is typically an average person whom other people are able to easily relate with. He is typically is just a middle class citizen who just wants to try and make the best out of the situations that he is forced into. In Frederick Douglass' speech, although it was written by an African American man about the plights of African American people to a strictly white audience, he played upon the basic ideas of humanity and the rights that we all share. It is at this point in the speech that emotions begin to make an appearance. Sometimes guilt is the best way to make someone understand that what they have done was wrong. Frederick Douglass used this to his advantage by making the white men realize that they were being hypocritical by saying that they deserved their freedom from Great Britain, but the African Americans did not deserve freedom from their bondage as well. Douglass' realism in this story serves a powerful purpose as he tries to convey the fruitlessness of celebration for African Americans on the Fourth of July. Douglass is upfront about the subject, and it shows that he is passionate enough about his people to imply a sense of stupidity about which African Americans should celebrate the day. Essentially, Douglass states that white people are allowed to falsely celebrate the Fourth of July for their "freedom," despite its being stolen, in the sense that we merely ran away from our original English heritage, but African American people should and can not celebrate a freedom on the day because they, still being in technical slavery, are bound by their masters. No matter how African Americans of the time celebrated the Fourth of July, Douglass puts those people to shame for having the audacity to deliberately defy what they were fighting for and to make mockery of the efforts of salvation of rights to the enslaved population.

Douglass, Frederick. from "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro." Glencoe American Literature.comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg 337.

Abraham Lincoln – from "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865" and "The Gettysburg Address"

Abraham Lincoln's "Second Inaugural Address" was a speech that made history. His writing, however, doesn't follow many of the traits that make a realist writing realist. There are a few better genres to place it under, rather than realism. He makes many refrences to God and His divine power. He basically says that the slaves were freed only because he allowed it. Many pieces of literature from early America, specifically Puritian writing, had themes of piousness and references to God. All of the references to God and his power are not very common in realism, which mostly shifted away from things that could not be proved by science. This was, in one way, how this speech is partially a Puritian writing. He does write as if there were a higher power controlling our lives, which is particular to realism. Specifically this is a trait that is more naturalist, but this couldn't very well be considered a true naturalist writing. His great dream of emanicapition for slaves and returning our nation into one both came true. This fact that what he was writing about could come true is another realist trait. There could even be undertones of romanticism in his speech. His view of the furture for America is somewhat romanticized.
Although still not completely an example of realism, Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" is more realist than his "Second Inaugural Address." It has some naturalist traits because Lincoln mentions the fate of the soldiers that died at the battle of Gettysburg, and even that fate played a role in the battle. He makes mention of the historical beginnings of America, which could be viewed as a naturalist trait. Regionalism is also apparent here. He talks much about the particular are that the battle was fought in, and makes specif mention of the grounds where it took place. Lincoln writes that the speech that he makes will be soon forgotten, and also that the events that took place at Gettysburg would never be forgotten. Obviously he was wrong about the former.
These should not be considered realist speeches. Although there are characteristics of realism, mentioned above, there are too many other styles of writing present for it to be purely realism. The shortness of his speech did not leave room for there to be much anyalsis of his writing style.
Although not totally realsist works, the language that he writes in is a characteristic of realism and regionalism. His words are not flowery or fancy, but he still manages to pack a powerful message in the words he uses. He didn't need any of the fancy language that some use to get his point across, and people still loved him for what he did. So although they were not purely realist works, there are definitely many realist undertones in the way he writes. He prefered to use the simple style of writing, and this allowed many less than educated to know what he was saying. He considered those who couldn't read or write very well. This was one of the many reasons he was loved by so many people.