Literature is one of the art forms invented by the humanity to reflect the phenomena of the objective reality. Drawing from this, all the ideas people have about their lives can be found in the literature. This paper will focus on two literary movements depicting the true-to-life stories of ordinary people without resorting to any symbolic pictures, etc.; these movements are realism and naturalism. Mark Twains Huck Finn will be considered as a realist piece of literature, while Jack Londons The Law of Life will be examined as an example of naturalism.
To begin with, realism can be defined as a literary technique directed at faithful and actual describing of the real-life events and processes in the lives of ordinary people. In the middle of the 19th century, realism was viewed as a protest against surrealism and romanticism. Naturalism became a continuation of realism by addressing the specific stories of specific people instead of generalizing reality.Accordingly, one of the features of this realism was the irony of the existing society and an attempt to change the established way of living where some people were higher in their social status than others. Naturalism, on the other hand, shows the good sides of the society it wants to change.
Mark Twain in his Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer among the Indians demonstrates realism showing how two ordinary boys, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer manifested their protest against the society trying to become closer to the nature that welcomed them: The marvel of Nature shaking off sleep and going to work unfolded itself to the musing boy (Twain, 2002, p. 71). One of the ways to break the rules the boys hated was becoming Indians and integrating into the nature: No, better still, he would join the Indians and hunt buffaloes, and go on the war-path in the mountain ranges and the trackless great plains of the Far West (Twain, p. 45).
As contrasted to Twains work, The Law of Life by London is a depiction of positive experiences of ordinary people living in close connection with nature. There is no manifestation of protest in this work, vice versa London shows that understanding the laws of life and nature makes it easier for ordinary people to go their life-path and end it timely: He did not complain. It was the way of life, and it was just. He had been born close to the earth, close to the earth had he lived, and the law thereof was not new to him (London, 1994, p. 28). Moreover, Londons work is more philosophical than the one by Twain, as the author thinks over the solutions to social issues rather than treating them with irony: Nature did not care. To life she set one task, gave one law. To perpetuate was the task of life, its law was death (London, 1994, p. 29).
To conclude, realism and naturalism are the two literary movements that reflect the same idea of bringing the ordinary people to the spotlight of literature, although by different means. Mark Twain and Jack London are the brightest representatives of these literary movements, and their works prove this fact by displaying the features of realism and naturalism. Although Mark Twain is famous for his realist humor, and Jack London attracts readers attention by his naturalist philosophy of life, the joint aim they pursue is explaining to the society the right way according to which it should develop.
Works Cite
London, Jack. The Portable Jack London (Earle Labor, Ed.). Penguin, 1994, pp. 26 32.
Twain, Mark. Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer among the Indians And Other Unfinished Stories. University of California Press, 2002.
Realism, Naturism and Modernism period is one of the most fascinating elements of African American literature. Many of the writers of this period emphasize the harshness of African American life in their work. These writers are simply unapologetic in the way they view life.
Writers of this period held that these three terms had outstanding differences. Realism is a window by which to view the lives of ordinary people; naturalism examines the most raw and real variables of a culture while modernism is a contemporary form that allows artists to experiment with new styles (Hakutani 5). Harlem Renaissance preceded the entry of these writers in literature scene, which happened between 1940 and 1960.
Important writers of this era include Melvin Tolson, Ann Perry, Ralph Ellison, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Richard Wright among others. However, Richard Wright is the most important figure of this period; actually, the other writers were said to have attended Wright School.
There are different reasons why these writers were said to have attended Wright School. Firstly, Richard Wright came before any other writer of this period; he lived between 1908 and 1960. The other writers emulated Wright and bought his theories. Wright never accepted most of the writings from Harlem Renaissance; therefore, he became a big critic of these writings.
The other writers that came after Wright held his believes and became critics of Harlem Renaissance writings. This is the reason they were said to have attended Wright School. Moreover, Wright concerned himself with exposing the challenges that were facing black Americans in urban areas; something that the writers that came after him exposed and analyzed further.
The description given to the writers of this age is accurate. For instance, Ralph Ellison, in his book Invisible Man, talks of challenges that blacks were facing. The only difference between Ralphs work and that of Wright is that, Ralphs characters were articulate, educated, and self-aware (Hakutani 9).
Change of characters does not change theme; therefore, Ralph emulated Wright. Gwendolyn Brook also touched on the challenges facing blacks through her poems. Her main agenda was to call blacks into social and economic awareness, something that was conspicuously missing during Harlem Renaissance. Maud Martha; one of Brooks outstanding poems is about life of a young black woman from her birth to marriage exposing the challenges that she went through.
Other writers like James Baldwin, Spoke of pain and suffering of black Americans and saving power of brotherhood (Hakutani 11). Baldwins writings were inspired by personal experiences that he went through under a strict father and a discriminating society. Finally, Lorraine Hansberry, Explored African roots of African-American experiences especially the segregation issue her family dealt with in Chicago (Hakutani 11).
Taking a close look at the literature works of these writers, it is evident that they were unapologetic about their standpoint. They wanted the world to know the sufferings of blacks in America during those times. However, Wright was the father of them all for he was the first to write about blacks and criticize Harlem Renaissance writings.
Therefore, it is appropriate to say that writers of Realism, Naturism, and Modernism period attended Wright School. These writers matured under the intimidation of Harlem Renaissance; having been provoked by the same, the entry of realism, naturism, and modernism period offered them an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings unapologetically and harshly.
Works Cited
Hakutani, Yoshinobu. Richard Wright: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. African American Review. Kent University, 1995.
In this chapter, Colin Elman describes six different types of realism, which include classic realism, neorealism, structural realism, and neoclassical realism. The author presents the detailed explanation of differences between the above mentioned and also points out the causes and results of the conflict between the reality and its representation for each type.
Classical realism, which can be viewed as the basis for the development of the rest of the approaches in question, has developed significantly, yet the links between different states of realism remain basically the same. Elman explains that whenever a change in interpretations occurs, it most likely happens in the same way. The specified phenomenon can be explained by the fact that human nature, which makes the core of classical realism, is flawed. One could assume that realists have a rather pessimistic point of view, others would take it as prudential. Although classical realism started in 1939 and is regarded as the original one, adherents of realism believe that realist thinking had existed even before twentieth-century classical realism (the one described in this chapter). Classical realism saw a human desire for power as the seed of corruption that affected lots of states during that time. It put emphasis on any aggressive behavior of leaders and the reason for conflicts to occur due to this. (Elman and Jensen 17).
Neorealism does not share such views on the source and content preferences of states. Kenneth Waltz in his Theory of International Politics did not treat motivation of leader and state characteristics as possible causes for international outcomes, which the article under analysis also points to. He was rather skeptic about whether certain micro foundations could justify the changes in the states. Waltz believed that alterations in the states could be either a product of socialization or competition between them. Alliance of individual states is not the only thing that might influence the outcome of communication. Contrary to classical realists, neorealists do not consider international politics as the one driven by an aggressive behavior, but rather as something tragic.
Defensive realism is rather similar to neorealism in certain aspects. For instance, it shares the idea of the insignificance of motivation for change among states and those seeking security in the anarchic international system. However, defensive realism does not accept the explanation of causes and implications of changes in the states. Instead, it relies more on a rational choice of the existing alternatives. It also adds the offence-defense balance that favors defense more and makes conquest harder. Combined with rationalism, followers of defensive realism believed that this concept would achieve states balance in the use of resources. They suggested that states should not seek for all power, but rather limit their control to some extent.
Naturally, supporters of offensive realism did not agree with that statement. According to them, security can only be achieved by gaining as much power as possible. The reason for this is an uncertain environment, where every state can use its power against each other. As we can see, offensive realists consider power as the means of survival: the more powers states have, the more chances they have to survive in a conflict environment. The international system, which is often supported with the help of offensive realism, is anarchic in nature; it contains the primary cause of great power to trigger wars. The number of great powers and their capabilities are the only things that matter.
The central point of rise and fall realism is evident from the name. This type of realism explains how states move from prosperity to decay and, thus, create conflicts. If benefits of conflict initiation exceed its costs, there is no doubt the conflict will be initiated. Rise and fall realism points out how the difference between power levels leads to a confrontation between states. This type of realism also suggests that major wars are usually initiated by dominant military forces.
Neoclassical realists also agree that material capabilities and distribution of power play a big role in all possible outcomes. They also indicate that states often respond inefficiently to threats from their competitors, which results in imbalance. The reason for this is fragmentation and diversity among states elite and societal groups.
Based on the analysis of the philosophies mentioned above, one may assume that this chapter provided us with valuable information about six types of realism. Overall, all of them have differences and things in common. They provide different points of views on certain aspects and, at the same time, share certain core ideas.
References
Elman, Colin, and Michael Jensen. The Realism Reader. New York: Routledge, 2014. Print.
The War Prayer is a poem by Mark Twain that can be considered a short story in prose. First of all, the poem talks about the patriotic spirit and ensuring the well-being of the country. By participating in battles, a person strives to make their life more comfortable. The poem is an example of realism, as it reveals the truth of war, describes events on the battlefields and indicates the consequences of armed conflicts.
Mark Twain denounces the hypocrisy with which the church advocates wars. The author puts his own thoughts into the work regarding the intolerance of the Christian religion. At the same time, The War Prayer cannot be considered a strictly pacifist work because the main argument does not concern anti-war rhetoric. The main argument of this story is against the ignorance and hypocrisy of the church, which supports the harmful effects of the war.
The technique of realism was chosen by Mark Twain because it allows the author to write an incriminating work, shocking readers and thereby causing a greater emotional response. Realism helps truthfully present information about events without hiding details, being the cruel truth. The whole poem is an example of realism since the author uses a minimum amount of allegory, presenting information in an understandable and truthful manner.
Mark Twain gives truthful information about the war by discussing what is happening on the battlefield, which is often avoided by other authors. &visions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! this is how Twain describes the battle (Twain line 7). Twain refers to his own experience and vision in order to give the audience the most accurate idea.
The work immediately gives readers an idea of all the details of what is happening on the battlefields. The image of the war and its consequences in Twain is rather collective and not related to a specific event. The prayer is ignored by the parishioners since its second part talks about the hardships of the living witnesses of military conflicts. Bringing readers into contact with reality through detailed description, Mark Twain is an example of a realistic writer using this technique to captivate and persuade an audience.
Work Cited
Twain, Mark. (1905). The War Prayer. The American Yawp Reader. Web.
In the years after the civil war, Americans experienced remarkable changes in their daily lives. Realism and Naturalism, as artistic styles, found their logical outgrowth in American literature after the Civil War. Realism is the first artistic device that came out first chronologically and it attempts to narrate a story without adding emotions to color the topic. Therefore, realism relies on a truthful piece of literature (Perkins 23). On the other hand, naturalism depends on realism, but they have a slight distinction, as realism does not focus on individuality. Realism and naturalism movements in American literature got representation by individual authors like Walt Whitman.
Naturalism sought to expand and became more explanatory by providing underlying causes of human beliefs and actions. It also provided a dimension that predetermined fate that caused the will of man to be ultimately powerless (Perkins 25). After the civil war, there were unique concerns in American history, such as, class divisions and other social concerns that strongly influenced American literature. Hence, realism and naturalism took their places as important American literary movements after the civil war. The fact is that there is no literature that exists independently of social, economic, as well as, historical variables. Thus, it is crucial to understand the works of writers like Whitman and Dickinson on how social and historical experiences occurred. These attributes influenced their works. In the earlier decades, realism was not the dominant literary style in the US but became more influential and important to a famous novelist in the US. This literary style presents earth in its real form. Realism refers to truthful or realistic literature by providing a plain and sensible account material it describes. Realists did their works with details obtained from everyday experiences of life and facts. These are facts about nature, history, or geographical places.
The description of the everyday world is an important element in realistic work. Realists often speak about plain and normal daily materials using trials of everyday plain travails of a normal daily life. In realist literature, a reader might be left concluding that a character describes a real folk doing a daily chore. On the other hand, realists often write specifically about places they experienced. For instance, the calamus, which celebrated a love of man for man to be the heart of democracy originated like a free-verse sonnet derived from an original manuscript I Saw in Louisiana a Live-Oak Growing which was the key poem, having a sequence containing narratives of human relationships. However, homoeroticism indicates a mans feeling of loneliness, as well as, alienation in society.
Realist writers, such as Mark Twain, who was very famous for realist works in American literature, wrote about people, places, and other materials in their real existence or everyday life. They used American dialects when setting their literary pieces in places. American realists had excellent ears when making their characters portray sounds like real Americans (Killingsworth 18). Through the representation of different American dialects, realists genuinely assisted in creating a real American body of literature referring to a set of literature that is distinguishable from literature from other regions such as Europe after the Civil War. Consequently, realism celebrates individuals since they mostly deal with central characters obliged to deal with some moral struggle in order to realize something or achieve victory. Realist writers put their characters to experience some normal everyday world (Killingsworth 17). This combines with some interesting external experiences that are not happening. However, most realist writers develop an interest in an individual through the love of the notion that man must learn and grow through the experiences of the changes in his life. Realism literature is always plot-driven. Thus, realism revolves around an occurrence of a conflict, which the audience wants to get resolved. In Realism literature, a writer must use at least a protagonist and an antagonist that will be showing opposing forces within an episode. This makes the audience be anxious to experience the sequence of events that prevail. Realism possesses these attributes which prevail in all standard works of literature, but its significance in realism is that it leads to a more fragmented or conscious style.
Naturalism also remained famous in American literature after the Civil War. This is an outgrowth of the realism style in American literature. Naturalism relates to realism in the sense that it represents an accurate version of reality in everyday life. Naturalism has facts, as well as, details of everyday experiences of the world and how ordinary human beings experience it. Furthermore, there is a similarity with the real American dialect spoken by the characters. In his work, Whitman wrote about the American people, geography, and landscape in a free verse form (Donna 43). On the other hand, Dickinson used tones and poetic styles that were much more measured and compact. Their works evolved in a unique American manner that uniquely portrayed the everyday American life. However, naturalist writers show no interest in individuality. They do not believe that individuals have a place to make changes in the everyday life in the world. Hence, any moral struggle by their protagonists does not add up to any little change in the setting of the literary works.
According to naturalist writers, the central belief focuses on the dependence of man to be at the mercy of certain mightier forces in control over nature. Some of these forces include the need for basic needs and social dominance. In a broader perspective, these external forces may include both physical and natural surroundings. The whole point of naturalism is its inevitability. Naturalist writers tend to be more political, for instance, they tend to describe the plight of the working class in society. Hence, they expose the cruelty of a larger external force, such as describing a sense that money could be used to crush the plight of the poor in society. To some extent, this notion is true; hence, the readers should not ignore it. Consequently, realism requires that readers should view a bigger picture than an individuals political movements that may be crucial to counter the exploitation of the working poor by the capitalists. Therefore, naturalism deals mostly with the extraordinary subject matter in the quest to describe how external forces control and manipulate individuals lives. Thus, naturalism supports the notion that free will is capable enough to enact real change in life situations (Donna 56).
In conclusion, American writers sought to have their own voice after the civil war; hence, realism took the first stage then followed suit by naturalism. Realism expounded the virtues of the common person who differed from the capitalist economy. However, most experts in literature argued that naturalism was a pessimistic view of realist, but an independent style of literary writing (Killingsworth 21).
Works cited
Donna, M. Campbell. Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890. Literary Movements. Washington State University. 2010. Print.
Donna, M. Campbell. Some information adapted from Resisting Regionalism: Gender and Naturalism in American Fiction, 1885-1915. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2009. Print.
Killingsworth, M. Jimmie. The Growth of Leaves of Grass: The Organic Tradition in Whitman Studies. Columbia, S.C.: Camden House, 2007.
Perkins, Charlotte. American Literature from the Civil War to Present. McGraw hill. 2011. Print.
American realism remains an elusive field, and Eric Sunquist asserts, No genre is more difficult to define than realism, and this is particularly true of American realism. But certainly, this should not discourage scholars from beginning the process.
Rebecca Harding Davis was a strong-willed, highly intelligent young woman who emerged at the age of thirty-two as an excitingly new and innovative writer. She was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, a small community located twenty-five miles south of Pittsburgh. From the late 1860s, until her demise in 1910, Rebecca Harding Davis was one of the finest and well-known writers in America. She broke into the issue as a youthful woman in the 1860s with Life in the Iron Mills, which established her as one of the founders of American Realism. In this enlightening thesis of significant work, I seek to present a skillful investigation of Daviss literary style and of the aesthetic, philosophical, and political assumptions that fashioned it.
Life in the Iron Mills
Historical, Philosophical and Cultural Forces
The extraordinary intensity and uniqueness of vision in this short story, has earned it a position as one of the revolutionary documents in American Literatures evolution from Romanticism to Realism. Two factors in Daviss personal life eternally altered her vision of what the purpose and structure of literature should be. The first factor: being brought up in a rapidly emerging mill town, and the second, Daviss experiencing at first hand the horrific realities of war.
From these experiences, Davis produced her distinctive literature of the middle to late-nineteenth century. Daviss letters to her family and friends remained an important avenue for political discussions throughout her life and sometimes even acting as an impetus for her articles and short stories. It was during their apprenticeship years that she gained first-hand knowledge of the national and local particulars of political life and consequently began to recognize her own era as one of incredible growth and equally rampant fiction. It is out of this knowledge that she shaped her literary theory of the commonplace.
Treated as a novella in the genre of local regionalism, Life in the Iron Mills begins with an epigraph from Alfred, Lord Tennysons popular poem In Memoriam A. H. H. 1850),
Is this the end?
O Life, as futile, then as frail!
What hope of answer or redress?
The basic story of Life in the Iron Mills is set thirty years in history thus permitting Davis to demystify the historical myths of that era so as to write what she believed was the crucial history: the story of today. Daviss research has centered on Life as a milestone in American literary history. Gerald Langford classifies the novella as one of the revolutionary documents in American writing and Tillie Olsen admits that the commonplace Davis chose as her topic was nowhere in books at that time. Jay martin categorizes Davis as one of the earliest and best of the American realists.
The three-level narrative structure of Life is a re-creation of the hierarchical social stratum of the mid-nineteenth century in America. The upper tier is the narrators middle-class world and her examinations structure the inner stories. Critics often believe that the voices of Davis and her narrator are exchangeable. The narrator is an essential initial channel, whose language and social status are known and comfortable to Daviss reading community. The middle stratum is Deborahs arena and belongs to both worlds. She inhabits the lowest economic stratum but has not yet been entirely dehumanized.
She has no last name. Finally at the heart of the narrative is Hugh Wolfes account, one of the most basic renderings of naturalism in American literature. Every stage of the narrative structure tackles the concern of language as an instrument of authority and each challenge submissive, conventional Christianity as a solution to the nations tribulations.
The narrator initiates with a conversational exchange with the reader that instantly addresses the truth of a mill town. The narrator asks, Do you know what that is in a town of iron works? the sky is muddy, flat, immovable. The air is thick, clammy with the breath of crowded human beings. It stifles me. Davis reveals how an economic structure terminates human potential and identifies voracious industrialization that distorts nature and defeats the human spirit.
Daviss insertion of immigrants in her portrayal of the mill town, especially Irish immigrants is a significant aspect of her realism. Between 1815 and 1865, roughly five million immigrants had entered the United States. Two million of these immigrants were Irish comprising the biggest nationality.
Rebecca Harding Davis existence in Iron Mills observes the artists social and spiritual position in a distorted marketplace. The marketplace bleeds into Davis life and controls her voice. Theodore Parker exemplifies the marketplace of 1842 as having a basis of selfishness; a society wherein there is a preference of the mighty, and a postponement of the righteous, where power is worshipped and justice little honored (407). Since then, until 1861, when Davis text surfaced, conditions grew worse. The site is devoid of the carnival signs of the conventional folk market. A certain tradition of ethics is missing, therefore the distortion. Underneath a lens of historical alteration, the continuation of an industrialized structure did nothing to arrest the suffering in America.
Social and Political factors
As a sensitive analyst of the sociopolitical apprehension that had been emergent in the nation since the 1830s, Davis comprehends that progressively stratifying class divisions were discouraging the actual conception of democracy in American life. By highlighting the working class citizens and daily events, Davis desired to expose industrial capitalisms deformation of human lives as well as its destruction of nature. America was to Daviss mind, a tragedy more real & than any other in life. For intentions, unknown Davis selects a Welshman as our central character. She communicates the racial diversity casually, as a crowd of drunken Irishmen (11), a tall mulatto woman near the end, and the different physicality of the Welsh. They are a trifle more filthy; their muscles are not so brawny; they stoop more (15). The variety adds a dimension to the marketplace.
The ruling body and American capital interests which often seem identical factions do not need artisans from their functioning class. Art, in many cases similar to the newly arrived employees, was traded in from Europe, merely produced by the upper class or not appreciated. Davis makes use of the mystery of an artists spiritual state as a cry to live the life God meant him to live (45) in this relatively fresh cultural setting. This cry is similar to the workers cry for social mobility, explicating the reality of soul starvation in a world went wrong (23, 30).
The Christian Allusion
The most important significant mission of this story has been to solve what scholars have generally found& difficult to reconcile (Hughes 114) the political significance in addition to the Christian allusion. The tale is based on the allegory of Lazarus found in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 16 (Hughes 116). The allegory is a story of Inversion in which a prosperous man and Lazarus die at the same instance, the rich to hell pleading for pardon while Lazarus is next to Abraham, which acts to arouse shock and response from her [Davis] readers (117). This dissertation emphasizes the key argument that indistinct spirituality and political restoration, are not functioning to supersede one another. On the contrary, they merge successfully.
Davis labors on the principle that social wrongs can be corrected by the men causing them (Parker 407). She incorporates patient Christ-love as one of the possessions needed to make helpful and hopeful this impure body and soul (63), implying Debs curing from the trial. Obviously, for Davis, chaste Christian spirituality is a prerequisite for social development. Given the Puritanical paradigm of America regarding religion, at the heart of divine madness, is a different spiritual sense essential for Davis political change. It is the madness that underlies all revolution, all progress, and all fall (Davis 46).
These themes co-exist parallel to each other. They adjoin sociopolitical entailments and an arguably spiritual festive ideal inside our chief character, a Welshman with the name Hugh Wolfe. Wolfe becomes detached from Christianity and embraces a different religious form. The emptiness of festive themes in his life makes him hungry, only to be converted very late by the Quakers Christian solace that of the natural surroundings and Gods promise of the dawn (65) not a carnival form and possibly an extension of the tainted marketplace philosophy, even though not the perverted marketplace way of life.
Wolfe is an unskilled manual worker and sculptor of the iron mills byproduct korl and is at fault because he is born underprivileged, weak, dissimilar from the others, and an artist, defined here merely as one who creates art. He has a somewhat cultured and genderless look, the taint of school-learning on him and his meek womans face , respectively (10,11). In the mill, he was known as one of the girl-men: Molly Wolfe was his sobriquet (24).
Absence of Feminism?
The men have a dominant position in Wolfes consciousness and are preoccupied with wealth, becoming influenced by the philosophy of the marketplace. Mitchell, the chief avatar of Wolfe, a Man all-knowing, all-seeing, crowned by Nature, reigning , perhaps most represents the perverted marketplace philosophy (40). He ends the communication abruptly and with a cold conclusion. Mitchell uses the philosophy of psychological self-indulgence.
Psychological hedonism elucidates all actions and emotions as essentially self-centered. For example, a saint is not motivated by selflessness. They are motivated by how their actions will make them understanding sensitively, the achievement of a place in Heaven. It is the converse of Christianity, debasing the very act of self-sacrifice with the blow of self-interest. Mitchells mirth is from a platform of contempt where pragmatism is unconcealed by religious conviction and possibly most significantly for Hugh Wolfe; it is a terminal feature of the marketplace.
Possibly, here Davis presents her solution when according to Mitchell the natural order has set the classes apart and the cycles of history bring them together every now and then.
Humor the central theme
Humor is the central theme. God is humorless in the Puritan paradigm. Ideally, it is not humor like Mitchell or Wolfes, hidden and personal. Traditional carnival humor is a humor of the people, for all people. It is the laughter of the marketplace, closer to the tall mulatto woman Wolfe spies from his cell. The reader is asked to create an environment where laughter can regain its healing power. Deb, the Quaker, as well as the narrator, do not laugh for adult laughter in the perverted marketplace takes the form of Mitchells educated pedestal. It is the distorted laugh of a desperate and suicidal Wolfe.
Irony and Symbolism
In Life the naturalistic symbol is iron. Pfizer continues, A major characteristic of each of these symbols is that it functions ironically within the structure of the novel. Fro Davis, the ironic symbol is iron itself. Hugh has completely assimilated the values of the iron mill owners; he carries those values with him throughout the core narrative and literally employs iron to hone the piece of tin with which he kills himself.
The Final Question (Or Answer?)
Hidden behind a curtain is the Karl woman statue, now in the possession of the narrator. Her arm reaches out beseechingly and her pale lips appear to question, Is this the end? (p. 64). The Karl womans question, ( What shall we do to be saved? ) is drawn from scripture, which leads us to the final inclusive theme of Daviss realism. maybe this question is answered when the narrator becomes aware of a cool gray light pointing to the Far East, the East serves as a symbol for Christ, where God has set the promise of the Dawn (p. 65).
The narrator reveals another art object in her room, a little broken figure of an angel pointing upward from the mantel-shelf; but even its wings are covered with smoke, clotted and black (p. 12). Hence, although the angel has not attained victory over desolation, maybe the Karl woman, representative of working-class souls, will be rewarded salvation. The korl womans wild gesture of warning (p. 31) could moreover forecast a potential revolution by the working classes, as signified by Hughs statement that the money was his by rights, and that all the world had gone wrong (p. 51).
References
Davis, Rebecca Harding. Life in the Iron Mills and Other Stories. New York: The Feminist Press. 1985.
Harris, Sharon M. Rebecca Harding Davis and American Literary Realism.> Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 1991.
Hughes, Sheila Hassell. Between Bodies of Knowledge there is a Great Gulf Fixed: A Liberationist Reading of Class and Gender in Life in the Iron Mills. American Quarterly. 49.1. (1997): 113-135.
Morrison, Lucy. The Search for the Artist in Man and Fulfillment in Life Rebecca Harding Daviss Life in the Iron Mills. Studies in Short Fiction. 33.2. (1996): 245-253.
Parker, Theodore. The Perishing Classes in Boston. The American Mind. New York: American Book Company. 1963. 407.
Rose, Jane Atteridge. Rebecca Harding Davis. New York: Twayne Publishers. 1993.
Throughout the history of mankind the notions of delusions have always been explored. Delusions/ dreams have not essentially hold the same cores but slowly changed with the changes in social understandings, environment and beliefs. It is understood that concept of religion in the US originated from Europe and that Puritans were the initial people who owned land in Americans. (Indians were the original owners). Irving (1996).
It is well know that the Puritans moved to America to flee religious harassment; there dream was to have economic, religious, and social freedoms. In the colonial period individuals were known to be clean and there was no evil that was heard, seen, or said about. As superstition started to come into their daily lives, there were people who started commencing to a new way of life. This brought about the birth of the Gothic era; this meant that the entire splendor that was held in the colonial time was sluiced away with the coming of reality. The main aim of gothic was to unstitch the reality and show how evil the world was. Later on after this notion was overestimated and confusing people began to express themselves devoid of all of the gloom. The new era was later known as realism and its main purpose was to reveal the reality devoid of all of the allegories. Christine (1994).
Pragmatism also denoted the notion of warfare and how the human beings were at the clemency of the environment. This meant that Human beings were no longer the determinants of life but the environment. During this era most women turned to be more open-minded and entities of the old puritan ways. These women no longer served their spouses but searched a new world of enthusiasm; this period later changed and turned to be what is known as post-modernism. Also during this period, the society considered having fun all through out day and night. In this period of Post-modernism people also believed that individuals ought to look into the past for them to be able to save the future. Irving (1996).
It should be noted that the American dream is recurrently worked for except when it doesnt seem to profit the citizens then what is it good for? In the era of post-modernism people see that the American dream is not limited amid particular individuals or groups but it is generally explored. This dream is based on erratic such as economics, gender, race, social class, and political concerns. The American dream was radically transformed and it unlocked its doors to a community of dissimilar genders and races. Christine (1994).
At this time women were could now succeed and become part of their spouses world. In the story the Raisin in the Sun a wealthy Black-American was also introduced, George who took all of the erratic of this redefined dream. This man was in a campus and he was also working towards an improved profession. This young man had class and also a very good educational background. This narrative was an ideal indication on the strengthens of a black-American who is trying to move towards the new redefined dream. Irving (1996).
When it came to economic concerns citizens started leaving the depression and started working in order to stay alive. During this era, the society did not use up their money like the way they did in the 1920s. But began saving for the fear that a further depression would come. During the pos-modernism era many people paid more attention to political matters and this was because they had a fear of an economic down fall. Post-modernism also gives a special life style that was portrayed in several literature dramas. Many authors express the concept of how the history is apt to haunt the present.
During the post-modernism people see how the some parents appear to loose their minds in the olden days due to the feeling that they werent able to achieve several thing while they were young. This turns out to affect the children, when their parents are often attempting to force them to accomplish their dreams; therefore they think that is the only what will make them happy and secure. Christine (1994).
References
Irving Sandler (1996). Art of the postmodern era: from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. Icon Editions, Michigan.
Christine Sylvester (1994). Feminist theory and international relations in a postmodern era. Cambridge University Press, London.
Over the years Hollywood has experienced significant social changes especially in the perception and depiction of women in the film industry. Most American films including the Wild West films presented women as sexual objects to be used by men. During the 1960s when Hollywood films became extremely violent women were always depicted as weak victims (Horton, 2009). Consequently, films with a strong depiction of feminism began to emerge as a way to ensure that women actors were represented fairly. In addition, there was the need to reach out to the female audience especially after developments in the film industry that allowed private viewing (Newton, p. 271). Girlfriends manage to bring about social change not through outright demand of equal rights, but by reaching out to women audiences and by emphasizing the need to be sensitive and mindful of women characters (Lahiji, 2012).
Alison Butler observes Claudia Weills movie Girlfriends as one of the small groups of films that revisit the womens picture from the perspective of 1970s feminism (p.36). Claudia Weill alongside such Jewish women filmmakers as Susan Seidelman, Jill Godmilow, Mirra Bank and Donna Deitch is the pioneer in womens realistic portrayal in filmmaking (Hyman and Moore, p.446). Patricia Erens takes into account the achievements of Jewish women in the film industry. The struggle of Jewish women for recognition is one of the burning issues nowadays. It should be noted that the screen script for Girlfriends was written by the Jewish writer Polan. Claudia Weill was one of the most famous Jewish women directors who has made a great contribution to the realistic depiction of women in modern movies (Erens, 2012).
Girlfriends are considered to be both woman-directed and an overtly feminist film ( New Womens Cinema and the Buddy Movie ). The success of this film is obliged to the realistic technique of Claudia Weill on the one hand and the good performance of Melanie Mayron on the other hand (Anderson, 2012). There are a lot of other films which are called by Haskell as trickle of feminist-inspired movies : A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavetes, 1974), Alice Doesnt Live Here Anymore (Martin Scorcese, 1975), The Turning Point (Herbert Ross, 1977), An Unmarried Woman (Paul Mazursky, 1978) and others (Nash, p.17). Claudia Weills Girlfriends may be the subject for the separate research as far as this is one of the first films touched upon a feminist problem and depicts women from a realistic point of view.
Weill covers three burning issues in her realistic movie: the problems of relationships with men, the importance of friendships between women and the difficulties of combining these things with holding down a job (Butler, p. 37). The sincere display of all sides of the relationships, both good and bad allows the female audience to relate with the movies characters. On the other hand, the movie also evokes sympathy from the male audience. The realism in this sense allows the female to identify with the characters in the film on the one hand and helps to avoid criticism that would emerge from the male audience (Rosa, 2010). There is no confrontation and the movie allows the male audience to follow the narrative without feeling condemned. In essence, the film diverts from the conventional acts of feminism portrayed in films directed by women. In giving the male audience the chance to participate in the film without condemnation, the film creates an opportunity to bring out some gender concerns in the film industry.
According to Kuhn the credibility of Hollywood female films in portraying realism depends on the ability of the audience to identify with the films through the texts (133). Weill manages in using narration as a way of inviting the audience to identify with the characters of the film (Rosa, 2010). The incorporation of a womans narrative voice improves the credibility of the film and allows the audience to look at the film more objectively, and free of prejudice and emotional influence. By identifying with the spectator, Weill intended to emphasize the need to be sensitive and mindful of the female audience. On the other hand, the female spectator is also able to affirm the victory shared by the female characters as a way of promoting feminism subtly.
Although the film manages to draw empathy from the audience to the characters, Weill avoids portraying the characters as perfect. The women are portrayed as being powerful but they are not without fault. According to Kuhn, the films portrayal of female characters can be compared to the film 1977 Julia directed by Fred Zinnemans (p. 134). The openness portrayed in both films allows the audience to witness the contradictions in the womans life and make their judgements. Kuhn continues to explain that whether the openness was deliberate or not, the effect it had on the social institutions in Hollywood were profound (p. 135). However, one does not fail to appreciate the use of realism by the director to bring out the personalities of the women in the film in an unbiased way.
Although most analysts have termed the film Girlfriends as a non-feminist film, in my opinion, the film has subtle feminist attributes aimed at bringing about institutional social change in a non-confrontational way. The way the author approaches female friendship is accommodating and even fun for the male audience. The inclusion of relationship conflicts also allows for the audience to look at the film in an unbiased way. In addition, the author also allows the female audience to identify with the characters and the narrators and finally characters portrayal is sincere. The film portrays the need for female characters to be mindful and inspires the audience to be unbiased from a social and commercial perspective (Tibbets,1978).
Works Cited
Anderson, George. Girlfriends a Candid, Refreshing, Realistic Film . Pittsburg Post-Gazette. 27. 9 (1978): 13.
Literature has offered man opportunity to present real life scenarios in a dramatized manner to entertain, educate, caution, or just inform society members the realities of life. Novels, poems, short stories, proverbs, drama and other genres of literature have been popularly used by people as a way of presenting life situation to people in an entertaining way (Galvan 23).
Drama became very popular in fifteenth century, when William Shakespeare was very active on stage. Their performance had to be watched live on stage for there was no means through which it could be recorded for future use. This changed with invention of tape recorders. Through this, actors could have movies recorded for future use.
The inception of Hollywood completely changed the world of drama. It enabled recording of plays as movies in tape recorders (Dawidowicz 45). Many actors and movies gained fame as one could watch them from different locations, provided that the tape player and the recorded tape are available. Girlfriends was one such movie. Launched in 1970s, this thriller brings to focus, the realities of the world.
Realism from Girlfriends
This is a creative movie developed in 1978, directed by Claudia Weill. The movie is not only interesting but also very educative as it is a representation of a real life situation. This documentary is done in such a way that it presents the realities of the world in a simple but clearly structured manner.
The story gives us a representation of life in America in the seventies. Based in a society that was development conscious, this documentary provides a picture of American society and the place of women in this society. This piece of art is designed in a manner that presents how the society members viewed women and how women viewed their position amongst themselves.
We are introduced to two friends, Ann Munroe and Susan Weinblatt. They both stay together in a house they have let. They have a strong emotional attachment towards each other. They share their secrets and as we see them initially in the movie, their world seems to be tied together.
They have the feeling that their friendship has a strong bond and that their destination is bound by this love they have towards each other. Although very decently presented without any scene that appears to be immoral, the documentary presents several themes that are intended to show that this United States of America is loosing out on morals. This movie presents us with the following themes as the story unfolds.
The two main characters are self supportive, though Susan is more successful. They therefore have the feeling that they should be free from anyones instructions. They want their own space where no one has control over them. This seemed to be working well with them till one of them, Ann, meets a man who according to her is caring and very loving.
This man is an engineer. She realizes what she had been missing. It comes to her realization that she may not be in a position to live without a man in her life. She tells her friend of her decision to marry. Her friend Susan is against this as she feels that they should just concentrate on their career other than marriage.
This illustrates the increasing habit of staying without marrying that many women in this society have developed. They have the feeling they can live normally without having to marry. However, the author appreciates that at times this decision may not be easy as some of these ladies may find it difficult to cope without marriage. Without suspecting it, they find themselves married when they least expect.
The two ladies are very fond of each other. They have very strong attachment, and though we are not openly told about it, this relationship leans towards being romantic. The director presents this theme with a lot of decorum, but from the way the two are relating to each other, we are left with little doubt of making such a conclusion.
On this society, there was a steady rise of homosexuality. Although both are presented as being heterosexual in all respect, we are left guessing that there is a possibility that they could be engaged in such acts. It is during such time that this habit gained popularity among many individuals in this society. Because of fear of intimidation and public ridicule, such individuals would engage in such acts in secrets so that other society members do not realize this.
This documentary paints the relationship that existed between men and women of this society. As we can see from the discussion between Susan and her girlfriend Ann, women were never expected to be in places of authority in this society. They were expected to be at home to take care of children.
However, this book presents a crop of women who decided not to bow to this intimidation. Though the environment is not supportive towards them, they strongly believe that they can make it through in life, if only they have the determination to do so. Susan finds herself in a situation where she has to choose between her profession and a marriage life.
Her friend Ann had made the decision to get married and she felt very lonely in the process. However, she now has to choose between the professions she had dedicated much of her time to and a married life which comes with reduced freedom. Unlike her friend who resigned to her fate, Susan is very strong willed and believes in going after her dreams at whichever cost.
She sticks to her profession and her determination to succeed grows with every passing minute. Although we see her fall to the force of love as the story progresses, it is evident that she is a success in her profession. The American society had started witnessing such women who would do all that it takes to achieve their goals in the corporate world.
The director of this movie also presents us with another theme, the modern corporate women. This theme is presented through Susan. Currently, women strongly believe in gainful employment irrespective of their husbands earnings. They have developed the attitude that they have the capacity to provide for themselves.
At first, Susan fell in love with Ceil. This affair, though short-lived, presents this lady as a focused person who is not easily swayed from her set ambitions. When she later meets rabbi, her focus is still not lost. She tells him all she had wanted to become, but because she was a lady, the societal discrimination could not allow her. Rabbi has very little option but to congratulate her for her achievements. This shows that the society is changing. Women can now be seen as people who can achieve a lot in life, just like their male counterparts.
The shooting of this movie was done with relatively lesser sophisticated photographs compared to what is normally used in the Hollywood movies (Tibbett 274). This has made the color of the movie less glamorous.
At some points in the movie, it is evident that the angle at which the photographer took was poor, resulting in poor image quality. However, most of the scenes in the movie are standard, especially the part where Susan sees off rabbi at night when he came to visit her at her work station. The background is so serene and very romantic. The sound quality is also of good standard.
This documentary full of originality, but is overly dramatized. Though it is easy for the audience to relate to it, the some of the scenes are overdramatized. The reaction of Susan towards the message about Anns marriage is not realistic. Though it presents the feelings of Susan pretty well, it lacks a sense of reality.
It appears to be more of a drama within a drama. An audience may not directly see such a scene happening in real life. However, the movie is generally presented in a very thrilling manner, with a message that clearly paints the society of America in 1970s.
It is a very captivating movie, with characters that understand their roles and plays them well. The message is brought in a clear and interesting manner. The director has succeeded in not only captivating the audience with this interesting movie, but also pressing the importance of a society that is liberal to all genders.
Works Cited
Dawidowicz, Paula. Literature Review Made Easy: a guide to success. Iowa: IA Publishers, 2010. Print.
Galvan, Jose. Writing Literature Reviews: a guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences. Michigan: Pyrczak press, 2006. Print.
Tibbett, John. A Matter of Definition. Out of Bounds in the Girl Friends Sep. 26, 1978: 270-276. Print.
The Girlfriends is a movie produced in 1978 and directed by Claudia Weill. The movies script was written by Vickie Polon (Tibbetts 270). In spite of the fact that it narrates about women, the movie cannot be considered feministic. Nonetheless, Girlfriends has some similar attributes to Agnes Vardars movie titled One Sings, The Other Doesnt in terms of the theme and other technical aspects.
The film is basically about two women who fight to sustain their companionship in light of a male-dominated society, marriage, abortion and family obligations. The women strive to keep a balance between their affection for each other and their affection for the men they love (Tibbetts 271). Claudia has kept the slice-of-life movie pragmatic and simple, with humor and charisma under the silence anxiety (Levy 6).
The Girlfriends bears similarities to Eric Rohmers movies of 1970s and 1980s in terms of style. The Girlfriends film is extremely stark and nothing much occurs in it. Nonetheless, the ordinary nature of the characters appears to attract the viewers. In a number of ways, the cast of this movie is plain and the scenery is very grey.
The dialogue is also mundane. However, the film possesses charm and warmth which draws the viewers (IMDB 1). In contrast to the openly feminist angle employed in the One Song, The Other Doesnt, The Girl Friends film steers clear of feminist polemic, first-person storyline as well as the doubtful corroboration of fable and street theater. The Girlfriends film does not make use of didacticism and declamation of the Brechtian technique apparent in the Varda film.
The dialogues in The Girlfriends movie are moderate and oblique, and a superb sense of the accidental exists. Whats more, the movie does not purely confront us but rather shuffles alongside, serenely waiting for the audience to discern it. In other words, it is episodic, discourteous, baffling as well as ultimately unpredictable (Tibbetts, 271).
When Suzanne and Apple (characters in the Varda film) finally meet at the end of the film, we recognize it as a major triumph for feminism. However, when Susan and Annie (characters in The Girl Friends film) attain their final conspiratorial fete, we merely comprehend that the triumph of companionship is really a hurdling of portrayals. It is liberating as well as mysterious. However, according to Vickie Polon, this theme is rarely depicted in many movies. Vickie contends:
Its hard to think of any American films that have intelligently treated changing female roles&recent films have demonstrated a new the power of women in major film roles&for that reason, am very pleased to see these films come out of Hollywood&I think The Girlfriends is a breakthrough in the treatment of female relationships (Tibbetts 271).
The movie begins with both Susan and Annie trying to conserve what they feel is actually the definite boundary of their existence. The first shot of the film discloses Susan taking a photo of the sleeping shape of Annie, her roommate. Later on, when Annie gets married to Martin, Susan relentlessly asks Annie if she is sure the relationship will work.
However, Annie settles for marriage because she feels that it embodies an extension of the reliance she has on Susan. The new situations that both Anne and Susan find themselves in justify new survival ploys (Levy 5). For Annie, it implies dealing with children and an oddly passive and quite spouse, as well as a shattered writing job.
For Susan, it implies learning to steer the unfamiliar terrain of a vacant apartment, coping assertively with her potential photography patrons, as well as her association with a mystifying world of men- a nagging boyfriend, a demeaning magazine editor, a lonely rabbi and an incapable cab driver (Tibbetts 272).
The movie does not present the story in the conventional sense of the word; neither does it reveal any objective lessons. In light of the tightly-plotted storyline, everything that takes place in the present is geared towards what Suzanne Langer describes, as a destiny, an essential scene which is the logical outcome of everything that precedes it.
The 19th century playwrights, such as Sardou and Scribe, and movie makers (e.g. Hitchcock and Lang) have previously explored this deterministic representation. Although most of commercial movies utilize clear-cut linear storylines, The Girl Friends intentionally does not lend importance to the causality in the arrangement of scenes and shots (Kubrick 2).
The film is somewhat plot-less (events and details are scattered). The details of the film are more autonomous and not tied to the overall plot structure. In fact, the main scene may be lost in general. However, the presence of a key situation or character unites this type of schema (Tibbetts 273).
The Girlfriends is united together by the fluctuating rhythm that alternately unites and divides Annie and Susan (IDMB n. p.). The screenplay and direction are arranged in a manner that keeps main themes at the edge of the vision (off-angle). As a result, events and characters in the film are depicted half out of the picture.
For example, key themes in the film are oppression; marital mix-up and abortion are kept off-angle. Consequently, the news about Annies abortion is offhandedly slotted into a discussion about something else. Whats more, the love affair between Susan and her boyfriend takes place during a discussion on mashed potatoes. The relationship between Rabbi Gold and Susan ends when the former decides to take his family to a football match (Tibbetts 273).
The Girlfriends film seems to depict a deceptively off-hand appearance which in part is attributed to the oblique technique employed. This technique is described by Polon as moment to moment quality, the deception of those little things that can make us make choices that reveal us as people (Tibbetts 273).
These details are cautiously selected. He further notes that the development of situations and the order of events are carefully thought out&there is an incredible attention to structure and character (Tibbetts 273). The film also employs minor characters (e.g. the young female hitchhiker) whose role is to reveal the key characters in high relief.
On the same note, the incidental quality of most of the conversations in the film is illusory. The gibberish word-game between Susan and Annie at the end of the film provides the much needed relief for them in light of the alterations that separated them. For example, the obliquity of the conversation between the two characters about Annies abortion is among the outstanding aspects of the movie. It is the type of dialogue uncharacteristic of classic drama.
It lacks both mathematical and symmetrical structure. Therefore, the dialogue in the movie functions elliptically and follows a disjointed, zigzag course that is scarcely noticed in real life. However, the same might be referred to as absurd or naturalistic in the film or theatre. Evidences of this phenomenon abound in the movie.
For example, the numerous exchanges between Susan and Annie (as well as the hitchhiker); the scene (at the party) where Erik and Susan meet and pair up; and particularly the exchange between Rabbi Gold and Susan as they rest following a bar-mitzvah (Tibbetts 274).
Throughout the dialogues presented in the film, it becomes apparent that characters prod cautiously at each other, leap forward and back, always in search for what Strindberg referred to as chance cogs. The films obliquity seems to have derive its inspiration from Chekhov, especially from The Cherry Orchard play in which the characters appear to encircle cautiously around each other. It thus becomes irritating (Tibbetts 275).
Neither Annie nor Susan can be compared to any expedient outlines we may anticipate from the unshackled females of contemporary cinema or the sensational productions of classic movies. For example, Ann is neurotic, pinched and wan whereas Susan is short-sighted, plump and clumsy.
Thus, they do not present themselves in the center-screen. On the contrary, just like all other aspects of the movie, they are at an off-angle. For example, Susan peers behind thick glasses and camera tripods while Annie glances from behind loads of laundry and typewriters. Nonetheless, both Susan and Annie are intensely lively characters (Tibbetts 276).
According to Polon, some of the established definitions appear challenged by this film. For example, the characters have to deal with somewhat inflexible boundaries that segregate their lives. Whats more, viewers have to cope with a movie that constantly interrupts their assumptions and expectations.
The Girlfriends is neither a story movie nor a feminist polemic. Nonetheless, it amazes and amuses in its own distinctive way. The approach employed in the movie is oblique engagement (before the audience is aware, the movie seems to have emerged from nowhere). For example, during one spectacular scene when the rabbi and Susan rest (following a bar-mitzvah), the viewers become conscious that something wonderful is taking place even as the two characters engage in quite discussions (Tibbetts 276).
Questions and Answers
What is the difference between Hollywood films and The Girl Friends film?
The Girl Friends film steers clear of feminist polemic, first-person storyline and the doubtful corroboration of fable and street theater. It does not use didacticism and declamation of the Brechtian technique apparent in the Varda film. The dialogues in the movie are moderate and oblique and a superb sense of the accidental exists (an attribute not seen in Hollywood films). Whats more, the movie does not purely confront us but rather shuffle alongside, serenely waiting for the audience to discern it.
Briefly describe the plot-structure employed in the film
The movie does not present the story in the conventional sense of the word neither does it reveal any objective lessons. In light of the tightly-plotted storyline, everything that takes place in the present is geared toward a destiny, an essential scene which is the logical outcome of all that precede it. Although most of commercial movies use clear-cut linear storylines, The Girl Friends intentionally does not lend importance with regard to the causality in the arrangement of scenes and plots. The film is somewhat plot-less (events and details are scattered).
Briefly describe the oblique technique employed in the movie
The Girl Friends film seems to depict a deceptively off-hand appearance which, in part, is attributed to the oblique technique employed. The screenplay and direction are arranged in a way that keeps main themes at the edge of the vision (off-angle). As a result, events and characters in the film are depicted half out of the picture.