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Irony and Sarcasm in A Mystery of Heroism and War is Kind Essay examples

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Irony and Sarcasm in A Mystery of Heroism and War is Kind

In literature, similar themes are portrayed in many different ways, mostly according to the time period they were written in. A new generation of writers came of age after the civil war, known as the realists. They dominated American fiction from the late nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth. They took their ideas from the slums of the rapidly growing cities at that time, from the factories replacing farmland, and from the every day common people: poor factory workers, corrupt politicians, soldiers, and even prostitutes. Realists sought to accurately portray real life. One of those Realist writers was Stephen Crane (1871-1900).
In the short story "A Mystery of …show more content…

It is mocking romantic heroes, because it says that those heroes cannot really be true heroes. A romantic hero is someone marked by courageous acts, honored deeds, someone who engages in daring chases, fights, and exciting escapes. Since Crane also was a pioneer of naturalism, he valued instincts and behavior and the motives for people to turn out as they did. Getting the water by taking a dangerous path means nothing then without the motive. Nevertheless, Crane throws in a short moment where he forgets his indifference about heroism and creates his own heroism, a realistic one. To Crane, being a hero is more an individual state, it does not have to be glorifying but something that is natural, and a good act. Standing up for one's beliefs without regarding the outcome. Collins just went to get some water. He was thirsty and wanted to show his courage. It was no belief he pursued, and a rather purposeless action, nothing heroic at all to the realistic eye. The only little moment where Crane changes his character is when Collins turns around to give the officer some water. This does not save him from dying, which it would have done in a romantic story, but just offers him kindness. It portrays a very social, real-to-life heroic act, neither selfish nor very grant and honored, but individually seen as a giant leap of benevolence and a pursuing of moral belief, without great meaning to the world, an every day natural scene.

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