Realism and Henry James Essay - 1792 Words

Realism, in the broadest of definitions, is the faithful representation of reality or verisimilitude. The realist is considered to be the â€Å"philosophical extrovert† . Within the scope of American literature, ‘realism’ spans the time period from the Civil War to the turn of the century. Some claim that American realism was the product of a country shaken by war combined with technological advances and increased consciousness of nationhood. Realism, according to Weinberg, â€Å"denies the continuum of time as meaningful dimension of experience because time cannot be seen or touched† . In essence, realism was a solution to the problem of the past. It â€Å"made a religion out of newness and contemporaneity† . However, some critics of realism have†¦show more content†¦For James, a ‘good’ novel was not one with a happy ending and a virtuous morale but rather a one that depicts a faithful portrait of the society. This can be clear ly observed from the ending of What Maisie Knew. The scene depicts Mrs. Wix and Maisie about to depart on a steamer. They caught the steamer, which was just putting off, and, hustled across the gulf, found themselves on the deck so breathless and so scared that they gave up half the voyage to letting their emotion sink. It sank slowly and imperfectly; but at last, in mid-channel, surrounded by the quiet sea, Mrs Wix had courage to revert. ‘I didn’t look back, did you?’ ‘Yes. He wasn’t there,’ said Maisie. ‘Not on the balcony?’ Maisie waited a moment; then ‘He wasn’t there’ she simply said again. Mrs Wix was also silent a while. ‘He went to her,’ she finally observed. ‘Oh I know!’ the child replied. Mrs Wix gave a sidelong look. She still had room for wonder at what Maisie knew . The ending is typical of James. He leaves it to the interpretation of the reader. As Howells states, â€Å"it is the character, not the fate of his people which occupies him (James); when he has fully developed their character he leaves them to what destiny the reader pleases† . JamesShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Realism In Henry James949 Words   |  4 PagesLiterature II Prof. Terence McNulty Realism by definition, is described as the faithful representation of reality or verisimilitude.† It is an artistic movement, practiced by many authors, which took place in the late 1800’s, and began as a reaction against romanticism. Realism centers on the â€Å"psychological development† of characters, detailed portrayal of people and settings, and presenting life â€Å"as is†. William Dean Howells a realist novelist stated, â€Å"Realism is nothing more and nothing less thanRead MoreExemplifictions of Realism in Henry James Daisy Miller: A Study542 Words   |  2 PagesHenry James exemplifies the characteristics of a realist in his short story â€Å"Daisy Miller: A Study.† â€Å"Realism implies a rejection of romantic, heroic, exaggerated, and idealistic views of life in favor of detailed, accurate descriptions of the everyday† (Baym 548). James conveys realism in his short story â€Å"Daisy Miller: A Study† when he creates Daisy, an American woman, to be a character who seems realistic to the reader. The reader can easily relate to Daisy as she travels throughout Europe andRead MoreAnalysis Of Mark Twain s The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn And Henry James1557 Words   |  7 PagesHaohang He EN-210 11/27/2015 Realism In the 19th century of America, there are certain changes in the society and politics resulting from the expansion to the west America as well as civil wars. Famous artist in America turned to reality as a way to bring their feelings and concerns during that time. For those concerns that stem from realities includes widening gap in social class where there were class struggles among those of the white people and negro, and misjudgment between Americans and exoticRead MoreRealism And Ideas In Gustave Flauberts Madame Bovary770 Words   |  4 Pagessense of realism throughout his book invokes many new perspectives on reality, especially when it was first published in 1856. In the critical essay, â€Å"Gustave Flaubert,† Henry James praises the perfection of this novel and also discusses its realism and romanticism involved within the story, and in Mary Donaldson-Evans’s essay, â€Å"Pricking the Male Ego: Pins and Needles in Flaubert, Maupassant, and Zola,† she observes women’s roles in French societies during the the pre-nineteenth century. Henry JamesRead MoreLiterary Realism : A Movement1602 Words   |  7 PagesTaylor Jones Professor Anderson American Literature II 11 October 2015 Literary Realism Realism was a movement in literature that followed Romanticism. In sharp contrast to Romanticism, everyday things characterized the writing of this time period. The use of authentic settings, relatable characters, and plotlines made realism what it was. In order to support the goals of these works, authors, for the first time, created stories that truly represented class and gender. The topics of class and moneyRead MoreCharles Darwin And His Theory Of Evolution1248 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Civil War. With the departure from romanticism came the journey into the realm of realism. If Romanticism can be described as searching past the obvious in search of the ideal, then Realism is diving into the obvious to explore the ugliness, misery, and hopefully the truth of the world. In general, Literary Realism attempts to depict life as it is, with joys and sorrows, ups and downs. However, American Realism tends to focus more on the darker side of life, for not only had the nation just unde rgoneRead MoreRealism in 19th Century American Fiction1014 Words   |  5 PagesREALISM IN 19th CENTURY AMERICAN FICTION The 19th century is considered to mark the origin of realism as a literary movement in the United States. American writers following the era of change in American life, moved steadily from Romanticism towards Realism, which was to lead the next step of Naturalism. The process was gradual, reflecting the periodic fluctuations in the history of American society. In this process, the Civil War provided a dramatic point of cleavage. In 1865 at the end of theRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn And The Awakening1419 Words   |  6 PagesName Instructor Corse Date Realism In the century America, there were changes in the society and politics resulting from the expansion to the westward as well as the civil wars. Artists in America turned to reality and regionalism as a way to bring their concerns during that time. Their concerns included the widening gap in social classes where there were class struggles among those of the working class as well as the middle class who were brought down socially. These artists wrote down these transfo0rmationsRead MoreLiterature During The Civil War And The Yellow Wall Paper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman865 Words   |  4 Pagesfollowed it lead to realism, as a literacy movement, gaining prominence. Therefore, many works of literature during the late 1800s used realism as a key component. Two prominent pieces that used realism during this time period are â€Å"Daisy Miller† by Henry James and â€Å"The Yellow Wall-Paper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman†. Both of these works have elements of realism, howe ver, â€Å"The Yellow Wall-Paper† is more effective in utilizing elements of realism than â€Å"Daisy Miller†. Realism, according to HowellsRead More Role of the Narrator in Henry James Daisy Miller Essay916 Words   |  4 PagesThe narrator of Henry James’ Daisy Miller contributes to the novella’s realism, as defined by James himself in his essay â€Å"The Art of Fiction,† by creating a narrator who acts as an observer to the events described in the story rather than an omniscient narrator who informs the reader of the thoughts of the characters. Rather than focusing on the internal workings of the character’s minds, James focuses on the external details which offers the reader a realistic perspective of the characters and