THE EVOLUTION OF REALISM IN LATE NINETEENTH-CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE: SOCIAL CONTEXT AND LITERARY TRANSFORMATION
Keywords:
Keywords: realism, American literature, nineteenth century, social change, industrialization, narrative techniquesAbstract
Abstract
This article explores the development of realism in late nineteenth-century
American literature, focusing on its social, cultural, and historical foundations. The
study examines how realism emerged as a reaction against romanticism and idealism,
emphasizing objective representation of everyday life. Special attention is given to the
works of Mark Twain and William Dean Howells, who played a crucial role in shaping
the realist tradition. The research highlights how industrialization, urbanization, and
changing social conditions influenced literary themes and narrative techniques. The
findings demonstrate that realism not only reflected society but also contributed to the
formation of American national identity and literary independence.
References
REFERENCES
1. Bell, M. (1993). The problem of American realism: Studies in the cultural
history of a literary idea. University of Chicago Press.
2. Berkove, L. I. (Ed.). (2005). A companion to Mark Twain. Blackwell Publishing.
3. Howells, W. D. (1891). Criticism and fiction. Harper & Brothers.
4. James, H. (1884). The art of fiction. Longmans, Green and Co.
5. Kaplan, A. (Ed.). (1988). The Cambridge history of American literature (Vol.
6). Cambridge University Press.
6. Pizer, D. (1984). Realism and naturalism in nineteenth-century American
literature. Southern Illinois University Press.
7. Twain, M. (1885). Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Charles L. Webster and
Company.
8. Watt, I. (1957). The rise of the novel: Studies in Defoe, Richardson, and
Fielding. University of California Press.
9. Lehan, R. (2005). Realism and naturalism. University of Wisconsin Press.