The Realism WarThe Realism WarJames, Twain, and HowellsJames, Twain, and Howells

Nineteenth-century Nineteenth-century Definitions of RomanceDefinitions of Romance

Romance focuses “upon the Romance focuses “upon the extraordinary, the mysterious, the extraordinary, the mysterious, the imaginary.” –Bliss Perry (1903)imaginary.” –Bliss Perry (1903)

Nathaniel Hawthorne: the romance Nathaniel Hawthorne: the romance “has fairly a right to present that “has fairly a right to present that truth under circumstances, to a truth under circumstances, to a great extent, of the writer’s own great extent, of the writer’s own choosing or creation” (Preface to choosing or creation” (Preface to The House of the Seven GablesThe House of the Seven Gables))

Romance and RealismRomance and Realism Events may be implausible or Events may be implausible or

heightened versions of heightened versions of reality.reality.

Characters may be symbolic Characters may be symbolic rather than realistic; they rather than realistic; they may be obsessed with an may be obsessed with an issue or problem.issue or problem.

Language may be lofty or Language may be lofty or poetic.poetic.

Class and background are Class and background are less important than the less important than the relationship of the individual relationship of the individual to the main theme of the to the main theme of the text.text.

Moby-Dick, The Scarlet Letter, Moby-Dick, The Scarlet Letter, The Blithedale RomanceThe Blithedale Romance

Renders reality in detail.Renders reality in detail. Character is more Character is more

important than action important than action and plot.and plot.

Complex ethical choices Complex ethical choices are often the subject.are often the subject.

Language is vernacular, Language is vernacular, sometimes with dialect.sometimes with dialect.

Class and background Class and background are important and play a are important and play a role in the plot.role in the plot.

The Rise of Silas The Rise of Silas Lapham, Daisy Miller, Lapham, Daisy Miller, The Portrait of a LadyThe Portrait of a Lady

Romance and Realism: Romance and Realism: Taste and ClassTaste and Class

RomanceRomance Aspired to the idealAspired to the ideal Thought to be Thought to be

more genteel since more genteel since it did not show the it did not show the vulgar details of vulgar details of lifelife

RealismRealism Thought to be more Thought to be more

democraticdemocratic Critics stressed the Critics stressed the

potential for potential for vulgarity and its vulgarity and its emphasis on the emphasis on the commonplacecommonplace

Potential “poison” Potential “poison” for the pure of mindfor the pure of mind

W. D. HowellsW. D. Howells Editor of the Editor of the Atlantic Atlantic

MonthlyMonthly, 1871-1881, 1871-1881 ““Editor’s Study” in Editor’s Study” in

Harper’s New Harper’s New Monthly MagazineMonthly Magazine (January 1886- (January 1886- March 1892)March 1892)

Criticism and FictionCriticism and Fiction (1891; collected (1891; collected from “Editor’s from “Editor’s Study” columns)Study” columns)

Howells on RealismHowells on Realism““Realism is Realism is

nothing more nothing more and nothing and nothing less than the less than the truthful truthful treatment of treatment of material” material” --William --William Dean Howells, “Editor’s Dean Howells, “Editor’s

Study,” November 1889Study,” November 1889..

The Ideal The Ideal GrasshopperGrasshopper

““We hope the time is We hope the time is coming when not coming when not only the artist, but only the artist, but the common, average the common, average man . . . .will reject man . . . .will reject the ideal grasshopper the ideal grasshopper wherever he finds wherever he finds it . . . Because it is it . . . Because it is not like a real not like a real grasshopper” --W. D. grasshopper” --W. D. Howells, 1887Howells, 1887

The Smiling Aspects The Smiling Aspects of Lifeof Life

We invite our novelists, We invite our novelists, therefore, to concern therefore, to concern themselves with the more themselves with the more smiling aspects of life, which smiling aspects of life, which are the more American, and to are the more American, and to seek the universal in the seek the universal in the individual rather than in the individual rather than in the commonplace.” –W. D. Howells, commonplace.” –W. D. Howells, 18861886

Howells on James (Howells on James (CenturyCentury 1882)1882)

The art of fiction has, in fact, become a The art of fiction has, in fact, become a finer art in our day than it was with Dickens finer art in our day than it was with Dickens and Thackeray . . . . These great men are of and Thackeray . . . . These great men are of the past.the past.

The new school derives from Hawthorne The new school derives from Hawthorne and George Eliot rather than any others . . . and George Eliot rather than any others . . . . This school, which is so largely of the . This school, which is so largely of the future as well as the present, finds its chief future as well as the present, finds its chief exemplar in Mr. James.exemplar in Mr. James.

The ReactionThe ReactionA Literary Combination.A Literary Combination.Mr. H-w-lls: Are you the Mr. H-w-lls: Are you the

tallest now, Mr. tallest now, Mr. James?James?

Mr. J-mes (ignoring the Mr. J-mes (ignoring the question): Be so question): Be so uncommonly kind, H-uncommonly kind, H-w-lls, as to let me w-lls, as to let me down easy: it may be down easy: it may be we have both got to we have both got to grow.grow.

Attack on Howells IAttack on Howells I

H. C. Vedder. “Can it H. C. Vedder. “Can it be that Mr. Howells be that Mr. Howells gives us in his books gives us in his books a fair representation a fair representation of life as he has of life as he has known it? Has his known it? Has his whole experience whole experience been of this stale, flat been of this stale, flat unprofitable sort?” unprofitable sort?”

““Has he never known Has he never known anybody who has a anybody who has a soul above buttons?” soul above buttons?” American Writers of American Writers of TodayToday, 1894., 1894.

Attack on Howells II: William Attack on Howells II: William Roscoe ThayerRoscoe Thayer

French realism should be called French realism should be called “Epidermism,” not realism, because “Epidermism,” not realism, because it reduces “literature, art, and it reduces “literature, art, and morals to anarchy.”morals to anarchy.”

The Rise of Silas LaphamThe Rise of Silas Lapham was was “produced by Epidermist methods” “produced by Epidermist methods” by an author who “smacked his by an author who “smacked his lips” over Zola’s filth.lips” over Zola’s filth.

Maurice Thompson: Realism As Maurice Thompson: Realism As Disease. Disease.

Realists represent Realists represent “literary decadence” and “literary decadence” and worship “the vulgar, the worship “the vulgar, the commonplace, and the commonplace, and the insignificant.”insignificant.”

The best part of Howells The best part of Howells is “romance disguised as is “romance disguised as realism. His literary realism. His literary tissue is healthy, the tissue is healthy, the spirit of his work is even, spirit of his work is even, calm, just, and his calm, just, and his purpose is pure,” so he purpose is pure,” so he cannot be a realist.cannot be a realist.

Picture is Thomas Picture is Thomas Eakins’sEakins’s The Gross Clinic The Gross Clinic (1875).(1875).

Howells to James, 1915Howells to James, 1915““I am comparatively I am comparatively

a dead cult with a dead cult with my statues cast my statues cast down and the down and the grass growing grass growing over them in the over them in the pale moonlight” pale moonlight” ((Selected LettersSelected Letters 6: 31). 6: 31).