Realism in "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro"

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass delivered a speech to a white audience entitled “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” (Douglass 337). This work contains many of the characteristics involved in literature of the genre of Realism. Obviously the speech fits the time period when the Realism movement began. The simple style used as well as the content concerning the social structure and society at the time are both characteristics of Realism. The words of Frederick Douglass serve as a perfect example of Realism in his speech, “The Meaning of July Fourth to the Negro.”

This speech fits the characteristic of the time in which it was written. The speech was delivered in 1852, right during the civil war (Douglass 337). Douglass became a fugitive from slavery in 1838 and started writing as a strong advocate for abolition (Watts). This shows that Douglass’s writing started right around the time of the beginning of the literary movement of Realism, making him one of the most important founders of the genre.

In his speech, Douglass speaks of the society of the African American slaves and that of the white Americans (Douglass 337). The entire speech revolves around how it is an injustice that the whites celebrate the Fourth of July because it is truly a day of sorrow, as it represents the cruelty that has been brought upon the slaves in America (Douglass 337). This is exactly the type of subject matter that is dealt with in American Realism. Issues about the way people are being treated by different levels of the social ladder are addressed which is a factor that defines this speech as a work of Realism.

As well as both the time period in which the speech was written and the subject matter of it, there is also a simple style used in the writing that contributes to this being a work of Realism. In the excerpt of the speech, Douglass uses very simple sentence structure making comparisons of how the whites feel and celebrate the holiday to how the slaves feel about the whites’ celebration (Douglass 337). This simple style, lacking much of an artistic flow was very popular to the style of Realism. Douglass uses this style to get his point across, with a strong, assertive tone presented to show the emotion felt by the slave population while still only presenting facts in the nature of a work of Realism.

Frederick Douglass is one of the leaders of the movement of Realism literature as he began his writing near the same time in which the movement began. He used styles typical to Realism of simple sentences with an almost monotonous flow while still delivering a very important message. The fact that this message was concerning the social issues of feelings towards a particular holiday of two different groups of people adds to this speech being a work of Realism. Frederick Douglass’ “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” is an ideal example of Realism as this speech is one of the first to be written in that particular style.


Works Cited

Douglass, Frederick. from "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro." Glencoe American Literature.comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg 337.

Watts, Linda S. "Douglass, Frederick." Encyclopedia of American Folklore. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Online. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EAFolk192&SingleRecord=True February 7, 2011.

Definition of Naturalism

Naturalism is a literary movement and sub-genre that came from Realism. The simple description of this literary style is one in which the author creates a scientifically accurate depiction of the story's events and other components of the work (Quinn). This comes at the price of creating very grim settings and stories as the real world is not perfect as it is depicted in some other genres of literature. The job of the author is to show how heredity and environment affect the actions and characteristics of the story's subject as a part of Naturalism (Quinn). Some of the main ideals held by authors of Naturalism come from the work of Charles Darwin in that humans are simply higher functioning animals rather than super intelligent creatures with souls (Sommers). A lot of times, Naturalism works are about the struggle of a protagonist being displaced from their regular environment and setting. Detailed descriptions of the events occurring come from this concept. The stories seem to be detailed and vivid records of events rather than an artistic story of a hero. One can see the connection to basic Realism as well as to Regionalism. In Naturalism, a focus on the setting is very important as well as the events being realistic, as found in the overall genre of Realism. Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Theodore Dreiser, and Jack London are some of the most important American Naturalist because they were the ones that lead the literary movement to the style of Naturalism (Werlock). Most of these authors stuck to the ideal that the powerful will always control the weak and it is almost impossible to overcome a lot of hardships. This is what makes readers become attached to and very interested in the story and the characters as it is easy to sympathize with them and their rough situations. The sub-genre of Naturalism was a huge part of Realism and made contributions to literature that helped spark the popularity of the American novel.


Works Cited

Quinn, Edward. "naturalism." A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gfflithem0538&SingleRecord=True. Online. February 6, 2011.

Sommers, Joseph Michael. "naturalism." In Maunder, Andrew. Facts On File Companion to the British Short Story. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CBSS450&SingleRecord=True. Online. February 6, 2011.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "naturalism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0501&SingleRecord=True. Online. February 6, 2011.

Definition of Regionalism

Regionalism is the literary subgenre of Realism. In this genre, the writer uses themes and ideas particular to the area and setting (Anderson). A lot of emphasis is given to the setting, as well as the history to develop the universal theme of each piece of Regionalism literature. A Regionalism author, even if creating a fictional story, oftentimes draws details from real places and ideals from particular areas. This oftentimes adds very specific details and drama to how characters interact and to the environment in which they interact (Anderson). One example of how a writer would use regionalism would be as in writing about the Midwest, there would be a use of small towns, rural settings, and characters with strong values about family as these are traits and characteristics particular to that area. For most writers of Regionalism literature, the more specific they become with details of settings, the stronger and more believable the characters become which eventually allow the writer to tie in universal themes and values held by the character that were caused by the setting they are in (Anderson). The connection to Realism can be made because as an author chooses to use settings particular to an area, the characters fit into the setting well. This is what oftentimes makes the protagonist an everyday, common person rather than the traditional "super hero." There are many famous American writers that were very good at using the style of Regionalism. Willa Cather, William Faulkner, Ellen Glasgow, and Robert Penn Warren, all used Regionalism to add specific details to the setting and ultimately create a character that truly is a part of the setting (Werlock). The stories associated with Regionalism are often the most believable, even if fictitious, because the setting and the characters become one in the same. Universal themes are drawn from both the character and the setting because both are of equal importance to the theme. Regionalism is a major part of the genre of Realism because of its focus on setting to create a truly believable story.



Works Cited

Anderson, George P., Judith S. Baughman, Matthew J. Bruccoli, and Carl Rollyson, eds."regionalism." Encyclopedia of American Literature: Into the Modern: 1896–1945, vol. 3, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Online. http://fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EAmL1330&SingleRecord=True. February 6, 2011.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "regionalism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Online. http://fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0581&SingleRecord=True. February 6, 2011.

Definition of Realism

Realism is a movement in American literature that began around the time of the Civil War, caused by the increase in scientific and rationalist thoughts (Quinn). With the aftermath of the Civil War, Romantic literature no longer was appropriate to the time period, and Realist literature took its place. The typical style of a work of Realism would be almost monotonous, while still containing vivid descriptions. The style is quite plain and an artistic flow, as seen in Romantic works and poems, was avoided. While most previous movements of literature focused on a hero or heroin, the protagonist for most realism works is an average, middle-class character with events in the story that are also ordinary (Barney). With the new style of writing came a new underlying theme to stories. Many works in the Realism genre have content concerning the psychology of the characters as well as the thoughts on the social structure at the time (Quinn). This lead into the creation of naturalism, a subgenre of Realism, in which the social and economic standards and levels held by a person are of utmost importance to the individual and how they are scene in their society. Another subgenre of Realism that formed as a result of the realist movement is regionalism. This is a genre in which the author pays a lot of attention to how the setting affects the events and message of the story (Anderson). A writer of regionalism uses ideas and history of specific areas to tell the story. Even if the story is fictitious, the writer will still take the concepts and ideas held by a specific area to create a setting that embodies the story itself as well as the message. The psychological aspect of literature of Realism is actually very important to the setting of the story. Writers often use the setting to project or create and image of what the character is thinking or feeling about something (Barney). The common, middle-class hero, the vivid descriptions, and the psychological breakdown of characters are what separated Romantic literature into the new genre of the mid 1800s, known as realism.


Works Cited

Anderson, George P., Judith S. Baughman, Matthew J. Bruccoli, and Carl Rollyson, eds."regionalism." Encyclopedia of American Literature: Into the Modern: 1896–1945, vol. 3, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Online. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EAmL1330&SingleRecord=True. January 26, 2011.

Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock, eds. "realism." Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Age of Romanticism and Realism, 1816–1895, vol. 2, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Online. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EAmL0738&SingleRecord=True. January 26, 2011.

Quinn, Edward. "realism and naturalism in American literature." A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Online. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gfflithem0707&SingleRecord=True. January 26, 2011.

Journal 34 ACT Essay Writing

Writing for the ACT is very important. The ACT is a test that will help determine what a student can do with their future. The first thing that one needs to do when writing an essay for the ACT is choose a clear side on the topic. Although the prompt states that you can choose a third side to support instead of the two provided, it is better to choose one of the provided sides because it is much easier for the person grading it to determine what you are trying to prove. It helps to take some notes of what points you would like to hit before actually beginning to write the essay. You shouldn't spend too much time on this though because when writing the essay, time is a big factor in how much you write and the quality of your writing. In the essay it is very important that you have a good introduction that states your opinion on the topic. Throughout the entire essay it is vital that you have strong support on all of the points that you make. Most likely this will be in the form of personal experiences, but otherwise you can use facts that you know of the top of your head for support. Another important part of writing a argumentative essay for the ACT is that you present the counterargument. This adds clarity to your opinion and when you disprove the ideas of the other side, it makes you seem all the more right in your opinion. Lastly, you need to make sure that there are minimal to no errors in the grammar and mechanics of the essay that could possible distract the reader from the main topic. After completing it is best to look over your writing again to ensure that there are no grammatical errors. This is how you write a good essay for the ACT Writing portion of the test and hopefully get the score that you want.

Journal 33 Something from around here...

Corn Hole is a game that is particular to this area. Apparently it started in fourteenth century Germany, at least a very similar version of the game. It then became popular in America, specifically in the Midwest. There is a lot of argument that Illinois was the first state to really bring it back, but Iowish (people from Iowa) say that they were the ones that started it back up in modern America. The game consists of two boards that are angled up with a hole in the center. Players stand behind their box thing and try to show usually some sort of bean bag, or bag of "corn." It is quite the enjoyable game to play outside during the summer. It is kind of similar to washers. Something that shows that it is particular to this area is the fact that my good friend Luke is actually working on building his own. He needs something to paint on each box and I honestly don't know what he should do but it just needs to be epic. It'll probably be something like a dragon or unicorn, anything that is all around awesome would be fine. We'll will probably end up playing it quite a bit when the weather changes and it is a little warmer outside so it won't be freezing outside. One time when I went to Alabama, there were some people in the same condo complex as me and they were playing it on the beach and I overheard them saying that they only reason that they knew about it was because they had friends from Illinois. Somebody asked what it was called and I was like that would be corn hole and it is from my home state of Illinois. Along with the horseshoe, I would say that the game of corn hole is one of the most important things to ever come out of Illinois. And it most definitely did come from Illinois, not Iowa.

Journal 32 Memoir

During my winter break, some very interesting events took place in my life. One morning I woke up to find that I could not remember anything about my life at all. When I went to a bank, I found a safety deposit box that was apparently mine. It contained a couple different passports, money from all sorts of countries, and a nine millimeter handgun. As I collected all of these things and was on my way out, a couple of police guards tried to stop me and to my surprise I was able to fight all of them off with amazing hand to hand combat skills that I did not know that I had. I began to run and soon I realized that I was not actually in my hometown of Springfield, but rather in a small French town. I don't know how I didn't realize this sooner but that's besides the point. I pulled over a car and told the driver that I would give her ten thousand dollars if she would take me to Paris. Desperate for money, she agreed and we began our journey together. Along the way I encountered more and more assassins trying to end my life. Along with my new found skill in hand to hand combat, I also found that I had skills with both weapons and linguistics, as well which serve as great help throughout my experiences. The young lady that was in the car taking me to Paris reluctantly stayed with me and helped me on my quest to find out the truth about my life and my past. At one point, when stopping for some food at a dinner, I thought that all of the skills that I have and my recent experiences could only mean one thing... I had to be a government trained operative or assassin of sorts. Through these experiences I found that I wasn't really looking for revenge for what happened to me, but rather I was simply looking for myself. Who knows, maybe I will find out who I am in two more series of events similar to this one as I get closer to the truth.