Realism Research Paper Throughout the course of history, literature has been focused on themes such as religion, political independence, and romance. America had never really been exposed to the harsh truths of life that people faced. Then around the nineteenth century, Realism was introduced; a movement that showcased reality. The Realism movement was a polar opposite of previous topics. Stories were written to display accurate representations of middle class life. A Realist who daringly took these topics far and beyond would be Kate Chopin, who wrote important stories such as The Awakening and “The Story of an Hour”. Chopin exposed her “foreign” thoughts of a woman’s dissatisfaction with her marriage and traditional domestic life. Chopin’s
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Mallard, a nineteenth century woman similar to Edna Pontellier, is extremely unsatisfied with her current marriage and also possesses the “abnormal” desire for independence. In “The Story of an Hour”, a tragedy takes place and is delivered to Mrs. Mallard; apparently, her husband had been killed in a tragic railroad disaster. The reaction of her husband’s death was not expected, “[Mrs. Mallard] could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air… The note of a distant song which someone was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves” (Chopin 630). A “normal” woman of the time would have been devastated. In Mrs. Mallard’s case, she is relieved, which is the emotion that drives the story to it’s shocking ending, hence the setting being springtime and blissful. If a Romantic writer had written a piece with a similar storyline, as “The Story of an Hour”, it would be driven by the husband’s death which would have affected the wife’s feelings; sorrowful and in mourning, “[Magazine editors] wanted Chopin to soften her female character, to make her less independent and less unhappy in her marriage” (Brozo et al. 628). With the idea of Realism, and having realistic perspectives on love and marriage, Chopin and many other realists drove …show more content…
While researching the topic of Realism, one specific point stood out the most: a new age had begun through this movement. Through Realism, a feminist breakthrough had erupted, especially through the work of the incredibly courageous woman, Kate Chopin. After sharing her views on the complications women face in marriage and their traditional lives, the female population was finally given a chance to be heard. At the time it was introduced, feminism was clearly not a popular topic, it certainly triggered speculation. Over the years, the ideas of woman-power and equality for all have stemmed into some of the most talked about topics, not just within the nation, but globally. With that being said, Realism was clearly an influential movement. Not only did it show the nation a new way of developing plots and storylines using characters’ feelings and behaviors, it created a foundation for the idea of speaking up and having your voice heard despite who you are, within and
Mallard, a nineteenth century woman similar to Edna Pontellier, is extremely unsatisfied with her current marriage and also possesses the “abnormal” desire for independence. In “The Story of an Hour”, a tragedy takes place and is delivered to Mrs. Mallard; apparently, her husband had been killed in a tragic railroad disaster. The reaction of her husband’s death was not expected, “[Mrs. Mallard] could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air… The note of a distant song which someone was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves” (Chopin 630). A “normal” woman of the time would have been devastated. In Mrs. Mallard’s case, she is relieved, which is the emotion that drives the story to it’s shocking ending, hence the setting being springtime and blissful. If a Romantic writer had written a piece with a similar storyline, as “The Story of an Hour”, it would be driven by the husband’s death which would have affected the wife’s feelings; sorrowful and in mourning, “[Magazine editors] wanted Chopin to soften her female character, to make her less independent and less unhappy in her marriage” (Brozo et al. 628). With the idea of Realism, and having realistic perspectives on love and marriage, Chopin and many other realists drove …show more content…
While researching the topic of Realism, one specific point stood out the most: a new age had begun through this movement. Through Realism, a feminist breakthrough had erupted, especially through the work of the incredibly courageous woman, Kate Chopin. After sharing her views on the complications women face in marriage and their traditional lives, the female population was finally given a chance to be heard. At the time it was introduced, feminism was clearly not a popular topic, it certainly triggered speculation. Over the years, the ideas of woman-power and equality for all have stemmed into some of the most talked about topics, not just within the nation, but globally. With that being said, Realism was clearly an influential movement. Not only did it show the nation a new way of developing plots and storylines using characters’ feelings and behaviors, it created a foundation for the idea of speaking up and having your voice heard despite who you are, within and