Literature and Social Reality

During the period of 1865 to 1912, American society was being pushed and pulled by a variety of social forces and trends. These forces and trends are reflected in the literature of the period in many ways. For example:

• They influenced the writings of the major authors, who often commented on them directly.
• Major literary movements such as Realism and Naturalism emerged, partially in response to the Romantic movement, and partially as part of a larger, international movement in the arts emphasizing the importance of portraying the world realistically.

These movements actively theorized about how best to represent these social changes in literature and what things a writer should include in works to make them realistic.

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you do the following:

• Analyze one or more of the social forces shaping literature in this period.
• Describe the major literary movements of the period.
• Explain how Realism and Naturalism influenced the literature of the period and how these movements responded to your selected social forces.

Illustrate your points using examples from at least three of the period's major writers and their major works.As you complete these tasks, you might consider the following aspects of literary works: (Not all of these will apply to all works: please apply this list only where it is useful.)

• Style: How do the styles used by your chosen authors relate to either the period movement toward realism? How do their styles relate to your chosen social movement?
• Departure from Realism: Some authors blend realism in one area with an intentional lack of realism in others. How do these departures from strict realism relate?

Note: You are not required to use outside sources. However, you are allowed to do so. If you use outside sources, you must cite them in appropriate course-level APA format.

Format your paper consistent with appropriate course-level APA guidelines.