Painting: Nighthawks, by Edward Hopper

Realism best represents the literary movement that America was facing at the time because the texts’ use detail that show how things really happened, how things really sounded, how they really looked, and used this literary style to get the reader more involved to see how the text will make them react while reading instead of just focusing on the narrator and the writer. While reading The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County Twain says “ He never smiled, he never frowned, and he never changed his voice from the gentle-flowing key” (Twain 4). Twain uses these words to show real details that the other movements would never use in their

The age of literary modernism in America allowed a break in traditional literature, especially with the concepts of religious, political and social views. This creation of difference was influenced by the changing of lifestyles in America. Modernism made its first appearances during the twentieth century. American’s were facing conflicts that were tearing at the seams of a traditional lifestyle. World War I, a decrease in patriotism, and racism shaped modern literary works.

When people hear the word Realism, they think of literature or something that contributes to art. Realism was an artistic movement that was brought upon by France in the 1850s. Realism came about as a reaction against the supernatural nature of Romanticism. It sought out to show the truth of everyday American life. This essay is going to dig deeper into American society, literature, religion, writers, Naturalism, and Regionalism; and what Realism had to do with this change.

The painting, House by the Railroad, by Edward Hopper was completed in 1925. The house he painted was in the style of a Victorian house. The house was built next to railroad tracks. He painted House by the Railroad with oil based paint on a canvas. The artwork is a twenty-four by twenty-nine inches in a frame. When I look at this painting, the first thing I think of is where is it located? It looks like it is in the middle of nowhere but then again it looks like it is in a town because of the railroad tracks. The house is built next to the railroad tracks but there are no trees. The house contains several windows which I think would be neat. In this painting, he uses vertical and horizontal lines. He used vertical lines for the columns of the house and parts of the house. He also uses horizontal lines for parts of the house and the railroad tracks. Many of the lines Edward Hopper painted were medium size. The painting is painted with several figures lined up. If you look at the front of the house, you can tell that it is square on top of another square. The one on the bottom left is also a square but it is bigger. The picture and the lines are very soft. The lines in the picture never seem to overlap each other. The way the sun is in the picture makes it look absolutely beautiful. The sun could be either rising or setting by the look of the artwork. House by the Railroad was painted in the United States. Edward Hopper painted this picture after he came back

During the 1920’s sometimes referred to as the "Jazz Age", America was taking its last final steps from the traditional period to new era of modernization. It was a time in which American popular culture reshaped itself in response to the urban, industrial, consumer- oriented society America was becoming (Brinkley 641). In this reshape two sides stood in defense of their beliefs, the traditionalist who wanted America to stay the same or go back to the way it was. Rebelling against the new customs and morals of the urban middle class, they sought to defend older values. However, the new modernist looked forward to change; embracing the future and its fore coming traditions and ethics.

In 1942, American artist Edward Hopper painted The Night Hawks. This oil painting, is a 33 1/8th in. x 60 in. piece. Hopper used oil paint on canvas, to create this piece. Currently this piece is located at the Art Institute of Chicago. In The Night Hawks, a city diner is depicted sometime at night. The buildings and diner design, are consistent with a city setting. Within the diner, there are 4 people present. Three of these people appear to be customers, while the other is working at the diner. There are three men present in the picture, and one woman. Due to the clothes they are wearing, we know that this diner is set sometime before 1960. After looking at the painting, I believe that this is either an exact depiction of a real-life diner, or the painting was inspired by a real-life diner. Within this painting, there are many different elements of design that Hopper uses to create this scene.

First, the Realism period themes include sociology and psychology. People believed social criticism was key to affect the audience, and made sure everyone was represented. Local color was a major theme of this time period too, this focused on indigenous American life. Also, authors used common language and dialect. Writings at this time focused on ordinary people in real life, they didn’t glorify the past, but focused on recent life.

In the years following the Civil War occurred a period of literary upheaval. American Realism was dedicated to faithful representation of all aspects of life in America. The plots and characters of these works were based on the day to day lives of ordinary individuals. Many of the works contained regional dialects that allowed all of its readers to connect with the text. The readers were fascinated by the idea of realism because it demonstrated several struggles that they themselves faced in their ordinary lives in America. Realists perceived American individuals to be simple beings, however as more focus placed on them rather than the plot.

Nighthawks is an Impressionist painting created by Hopper in 1941. It shows a bird’s eye view of a human lit city diner at night. There are four figures in the painting; a waiter behind the counter; a woman eating; a man sitting next to her; and another man sitting in the shadows who you can only see the back of. They are all seen together and close in the light filled diner, but at the same time they all seem very distant from each other. The painting gives off a sense of isola-tion and mysteries the night holds. Hopper achieves this by his lighting. The light from the diner and from an unseen street lamp shine in such a way as to cast many shadows upon the very same city they light up. Many of Hopper’s paintings portray this mysterious

Realism began to dominate art around the 19th century and peaked toward the middle of the century. Realism desired precise depictions of the visual without any alteration. This change caused a dramatic change in art and artist.

Edward Hopper's painting Nighthawks portrays a theme of greed in New York City set in the 1940's. This painting depicts the isolation encompassed within the lives of greedy minded New Yorkers. This painting displays an emptiness in the atmosphere. Although New York known as the city that never sleeps, this painting suggests differently. The streets are completely vacant which is unusual for such a busy city.

Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks is a representational, naturalistic painting that suggests that the following given elements is what roots, categorizes, this artwork in the visual world. The painting does represent a place, which is a dinner in the city. Nighthawks, depicts realistic not abstract people in the painting, which is another element that reinforces the fact that the artwork is representational. Edward Hopper achieved the naturalistic element by painting realistic images of buildings, people and shapes, and colors.

Realism, in contrast to Romanticism, represents the reality of life in America. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, America experienced enormous industrial, economic, social, and cultural change. Realism focuses on showing everyday activities and events among the middle and lower class society without romantic ideas. In the early 20th century people started to pull away from fantasy and started focusing on the reality around them. Realism emphasises on truth, class, and social commentary.

In the small town of Charleston, an older, lonely man sits at the bar in a Diner. A young couple sat at the other end drinking coffee. The woman was dressed nice in a pretty red dress and the man looking dapper with his blue suit and hat. The older man is a regular at this diner. He arrives at the same time, sits on the same stool, and is always dressed nice as if he were about to meet someone. He never did though. The waiter knows the older man by name and says, "Hey Hopper, anything new today or just the same old, same old?" whenever he would walk in. Hopper would just shrug his shoulders as usual and sit on his stool. He looks at the couple at the end of the bar and nods, while waiting for the waiter to get him his

"Authors began to focus their writing on ordinary people and their everyday lives" which caused the shift from Romanticism to Realism to begin.Many American authors were influenced by this movement ("Realism"). Realism inspired these authors to take into a deeper meaning the realties of life by further examining the obstacles and circumstances they have undergone (Marshall). The main ideas of literature shifted from giving people supernatural traits to authors portraying humans as the ordinary person ("Realism"). The major theme of this time period was to preserve the foundations that America’s forefathers laid down for the country. The Civil War was ultimately a second chance for the nation to rebuild and gain back the beneficial aspects that were overlooked in times of change. Realism began around the time of the Civil War and ended in early 1900. The changes in the writing styles shifted America’s views on the works of literature in the time period and caused a drastic change in the country (Leonard). Realists wanted to use the diction of the typical person to be able to connect to them and portray the concreteness of life