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Romanticism And Realism In Twain's The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer

Decent Essays

Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer satirizes the quixotism of individuals, expressive of the American people’s pragmatic mentality toward life during the wake of the Realism movement of the nineteenth century. Following the Civil War, which ended in 1865, the Realism movement prompted artists to depict an accurate portrayal of society, which at the time, was in a state of havoc. In fact, it was a reaction to the Romantic movement that preceded it, which emphasized the importance of imagination. Twain’s intentional narrative voice in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer enhances the novel by exposing and mocking the fraudulent nature of individuals, derived from the unrealistic expectations that are most commonly influenced by Romantic ideals. In fact, the term “quixotism” derives from Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s Don Quixote where the principle figure dreams up an ideal world where he is the hero. Twain’s characterizations reflect these views by depicting flaws such as the extreme focus on one’s influence to the rest of society, reminiscent of the Romantic maxims of importance of oneself and individuality. In addition, Twain’s satirical and blunt tone further enhance the novel by expressing the dissatisfaction with institutions, such as the Church. Lastly, he shows an impertinent attitude toward death, an object often glorified in romantic literature. As mentioned before, Twain’s aims his most prominent critiques in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer at religion. By writing about

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