The Evolution Of Drag

Realist Writers

Realist Writers
In my opinion, the worst thing a writer can do is have unrealistic characters. A reader can not relate to a character that is unlike them in so many ways. Prior to the realist revolution of the mid 1800s, most American writers perceived human beings as acting completely good or completely bad. However, these writers soon saw that they were doing a disservice to their audience and began to depict characters as realistically as possible, an art form known as realism. The writers we have viewed this semester accomplish this by showing both the good and bad of humanity. Frank Norris, Stephen Crane, and Kate Chopin all depict humans as they truly are. The characters within these stories are three dimensional and exist with complex personalities that speak to the audience on a personal level. In addition to this, the writers challenge our previous notions of morality, honor, and society in general, presenting both their good and bad attributes. As so these novels help us accept our own complex personalities while also showing us that society as a large has much to be changed.
Instead of depicting characters as entrenched in one strong emotion, realist writers strive to show the multitude of emotions that make up a person. This is extremely important as it allows the reader to relate to the character. Throughout The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane you see a multitude of characteristics and traits from Henry. While at first Henry is a cowardly and selfish individual, he soon grows into an excellent soldier. However throughout the story, the reader is debating as to whether Henry is a good or bad person. He self-centered and egotistical and even when he does find the courage to fight It can be argued he does it for the wrong reasons. “The youth had centered the gaze of his soul upon that other flag. Its possession would be high pride. It would express bloody minglings, near blows” (Chapter 23) As shown here Henry is more so concerned with fighting because of glory and pride rather than civic duty. Like every other human being Henry is flawed. He fears death and desires glory and honor which causes him to act irrationally. By showing Henry’s flaws Crane is able to depict true human nature and as so stay true to realism. No one depicts human nature in a more unsatisfying way than Frank Norris does in McTeague. Norris is able to show the dark side of humanity, without portraying his character as whole hardily evil. An interesting trait to Norris’s work is his emphasize on character’s more complex sides by comparing them to animals. In chapter 11 of McTeague, Norris compares an animals rage and hatred to that of humans. This is shown when Trina says “Those two dogs hate each other just like humans. You best look out. They'll fight sure." However interesting enough the dog’s anger towards one another is the result of being forced to fight by humans. Here you see how humanities wickedness is both alluded to in simile and showed as an example. McTeague is able to show that something so acceptable can also be quite wrong.
Due to the fact that realism often depicts humans as both good and evil, it often debates the concept of morality. Realist writers complicate societal views of right and wrong in their works of fiction. Kate Chopin challenges our ideas of mother hood and marriage within The Awakening. Instead of feeding into the notion that mother hood is the source of all joy, Chopin shows that it can be dissatisfying for some woman. While speaking of her children Edna says “… she did not miss them except with an occasional intense longing. Their absence was a sort of relief, though she did not admit this, even to herself. It seemed to free her of a responsibility which she had blindly assumed and for which Fate had not fitted her.” (Chapter 7). Here Edna is explicitly stating that she does not care for her children. Many would consider her a terrible person for this. However, this sentiment may be generally felt by many women. Chopin is not saying that motherhood is terrible but that it is not meant for everyone. As the audience sees the complications in their views, they then start to question why they have these ideas in the first place. Crane accomplishes a similar fleet by dismantling the myth of war. Henry’s first idea of war is it of being “Tales of great movements shook the land. They might not be distinctly Homeric, but there seemed to be much glory in them. He had read of marches, sieges, conflicts, and he had longed to see it all. “ (chapter 1) However later warfare is described more brutally. In chapter 5 the narration says “The men dropped here and there like bundles. The captain of the youth's company had been killed in an early part of the action. His body lay stretched out in the position of a tired man resting, but upon his face there was an astonished and sorrowful look, as if he thought some friend had done him an ill turn. The babbling man was grazed by a shot that made the blood stream widely down his face. He clapped both hand to his head.” Here we see that there is nothing glorious about war. It’s dark and destructive and many people die from it. It is very Harsh and cruel and Crane depicts it as so. Both Crane and Chopin go against traditional views of institutions and critique them.
Since morality itself is brought into question, audience members start to wonder why society as a whole has these ideas. Realist writers often challenge societal norms, depicting them as bigoted and foolish. Throughout the stories we have read this semester many of the characters are pressured to be the way they are because of society. Within The Awakening the protagonist Edna feels pressured to become a “mother woman”. She even states that “Even as a child she had lived her own small life all within herself. At a very early period she had apprehended instinctively the dual life—that outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions” (chapter 18) Here Edna describes herself as feeling torn between what society says is right and what she believes is right. Interesting enough her husband is also pushed in a similar way. In chapter 32 when Edna reveals to Leonce that she wants a divorce his first response is “He hoped she had not acted upon her rash impulse; and he begged her to consider first, foremost, and above all else, what people would say.“. As you can see both parties in this marriage are largely driven by what other’s will think of them, rather what they feel is right. In addition McTeague shows how societal values often lead to pain and despair. In this instance money is the cause of the McTeagues pain. At first when Trina wins the lottery both her and McTeague believe that this will lead to a happy life. However soon we see them become greedy and obsessed with the money, caring more about it than they do each other. They become so greedy that eventually McTeague murders Trina. Although money is seen as the source of all joy, the love of it only results in pain. Within realism society is shown as an agent of bad morals and not of good ones like we are generally taught.
Realism is unlike any other genre of fiction as it seeks truth through false realities. As so it is the strongest form of fiction, because human beings learn more about themselves through experiencing realism. Not only that but it also teaches human beings about their fellow man. American realism has taught me much about the different lives of other people and how similar they are. If there is one experience I can take from this semester it is that people of all races, genders, and backgrounds share the same desires, fears and dreams as one another.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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