Comparing Styles of Realism Used By An American Writer and Used by an Artist

Essay by mnkymn267High School, 10th grade February 2007

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Realism is one of the many beautiful styles used in literature, art, and many other fields in life. Mainly it started to be used in America during the times of the Civil War and well after (1860 - 1914). Realism is a style of expression that depicts contemporary life and society "as they were" and attempts to describe life without idealization or romantic subjectivity. Realist authors typically opted for depictions of everyday and ordinary activities and experiences. Some American realists believed that humanity's freedom of choice was limited by the power of outside forces, whereas others, called Naturalists, argued that individuals have no choice because a person's life is dictated by heredity and the external environment. Because Realism was not only used in literature, one can compare the styles of realism used by different American authors and artists.

First, it is obvious that most authors will have their own unique styles for expressing themselves although they could all still be under the category of realistic authors.

An example of a unique style of realism would be the works of Charles Fuller (1878 - 1966). One of his most famous plays is "A Soldier's Play," which was based in the realistic setting of the Civil War in America. One facet of Charles Fuller's style of realism used in "A Soldier's Play" is the way he uses and develops his characters. One character that Charles Fuller focuses his character development on is Captain Davenport. Davenport discloses much about himself in the monologues that he uses to update the audience on the action that occurs between scenes. Also, Charles Fuller uses Davenport's confrontations with Taylor to reveal his character. Along with the spirit of realism, Fuller uses the middle class status of the black soldiers in the war.