American Literature Essay Realism & Naturalism

Introduction to Volume C of The Norton Anthology of American Literature (pp. 1-15);

“Realism and Naturalism” (pp. 955-975);

Mark Twain, “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” (115-118);

Ambrose Bierce, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (395-400);

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (844-855)

The Introduction to Volume C of The Norton Anthology asserts the following: “As the [nineteenth] century neared its close, Americans increasingly felt that their society was being shaped by forces beyond their control” (11). 

Select one of the assigned readings and discuss how it illustrates forces that might be out of a character’s control.  What aspects of the story convey this loss of control?  And how might the story reflect other historical circumstances described in the Introduction to volume C?