The Civil War was a traumatic and destructive conflict that remains the bloodiest war in US history. Realism began around the end of the war in 1865.
Rejecting romantic-era ideals that focused on allegorical characters, symbolic settings, and dramatic subjects, realism depicted ordinary people in everyday situations.
What aspects of the Civil War might have caused this dramatic shift in style, form, and thematic discourse in American literature?
The Civil War had several aspects that could have caused a dramatic shift in style, form, and thematic discourse in American literature towards realism:
1. Tumultuous and Traumatic Nature of the Conflict: The Civil War was an incredibly traumatic event for the United States, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and leaving a lasting impact on the nation. The violence and destruction caused by the war might have led writers to move away from romantic ideals and instead depict the harsh realities of life.
2. Increased Focus on the Common People: The Civil War was fought by ordinary citizens, rather than by professional soldiers. This shift in the makeup of armies meant that regular individuals were experiencing the horrors of war firsthand. This emphasis on the experiences of common people would have provided writers with a rich source of material for realistic depictions.
3. Loss of Innocence and Break from Ideals: The Civil War shattered the ideals and romantic notions of many Americans. It highlighted the harshness of reality, the brutality of war, and the flaws in the American society. The disillusionment and loss of innocence that followed the war might have driven writers to abandon romanticism and instead explore the complexities of human experience in a more realistic manner.
4. Changing Sociopolitical Landscape: The Civil War led to significant societal changes in the United States. Slavery was abolished, and new challenges related to reconstruction and racial tensions emerged. These shifts in the sociopolitical landscape would have necessitated a different approach in literature to reflect the realities of the evolving society.
5. Photography and Journalism: The Civil War marked the first large-scale war to be extensively covered by photography and journalism. The immediate and graphic documentation of the war through photographs and newspaper accounts provided writers with a new understanding of the war's realities. This newfound access to visual evidence might have influenced writers to depict the war and its aftermath in a more realistic manner.
Overall, the traumatic nature of the Civil War, the emphasis on the common people, the loss of innocence, the changing sociopolitical landscape, and the influence of photography and journalism are some of the key aspects that could have caused the shift towards realism in American literature after the war.