Dean howells

and historical concern and “an American way of life” (Whitehead). This essay studies the relationship between divorce and love as presented in numerous realist literary works from the turn of the century, including A Modern Instance by William Dean Howells, Marry Me: A Romance by John Updike, and The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton. Closely reviewing these novels, I examine love as well as divorce, which saw a remarkable increase between the years 1880 and 1920. Moving the topic of divorce

accomplishments, and literary criticisms, an author's personality can be used to sketch a limited definition of his or her literature. Mark Twain's literature manifests his personality's candor, graphicness, humor, and criticalness that William Dean Howells describes in "My Mark Twain." These attributes are evident in "Old Times on the Mississippi," The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,"

Editha: William Dean Howells’s commitment to literary realism ENG 202: American Literature II Editha: William Dean Howells’s commitment to literary realism Realism can be defined as view in which the author tries to depict life as truthfully and accurately as possible. The use of realistic or lifelike settings described by the author or narrated by a character, add a layer of realism to the story, even if the story itself is fictitious. The characters themselves are often portrayed as believable

with romantics as it exposes the truth behind marriages in the 18th and 19th centuries. The two stories I have read that stood out the most to me on the grounds of literary realism are: Editha by William Dean Howells and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Editha by William Dean Howells, will go down as one of many strong points of evidence when it comes down to literary realism. This comes into play when life for a real man is depicted as being in the war. Life in the war during the

REALISM Realism is a literary movement which tries to show things, actions or social circumstances in point of fact without presenting them in the influence of feelings or other artistic ideas. (Duerksen, R. A. (1966). Shelleyan ideas in Victorian literature. The Hague: Mouton.) Realism as a word comes from Greek word “Res” which means real. Realism emerged in France during the mid- 19th centuary. (Realism (late 1800s-early 1900s). (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2017, from http://www.scholastic

William Dean Howells’ “Editha” tells the story of a young girl and her plan of manipulating her fiancé to go off to war. Howells uses psychological realism during the readers initial encounter with Editha, her interactions with George, and ultimately how she reacts to his death to express how romantic idealism can lead to unethical ideals. Editha’s romantic views of war leads to a tragic outcome and readers are taught the importance of always loving someone for they are. Psychological realism is

Character Manipulation in Howells' The Rise of Silas Lapham           Of all the characters who undergo change in The Rise of Silas Lapham, Lapham's change is the only one looked upon in a positive light by the narrator. William Dean Howells uses the corruption of other characters to promote Lapham's newfound morality and reinforce his ultimate triumph. Before Lapham's financial ruin, he is the only character with fault. Yet as his world crumbles, so does the credibility and innocence of his

activities, the dress, features of a place. "Editha" by William is the story of realism which has many characteristics of realism like details about war; he uses dialect to hold out the trend of the story, using middle-class peoples character. Dean Howell uses a part of romantic style but all together its categorized as one of the

efforts to define this movement in the most accurate and concise way possible. Theodore Dreiser, in “True Art Speaks Plainly”, strives to identify those components which are necessary to literature that is classified under the realism movement. William Dean Howells’s “Editha” is a literary work that reflects this definition of realism. Dreiser’s arguments regarding the presence of immorality in literature as a precondition for artistic honesty find an example in the actions of the protagonist of Howells’s

Motivation of Immorality in The Rise of Silas Lapham and The Octopus       In both William Dean Howells' The Rise of Silas Lapham and The Octopus by Frank Norris, a character is faced with the moral issues involved with operating his business. Howells' character, Silas Lapham (The Colonel) and Norris' Magnus Derrick are both desirous to have a prominent position in their respective societies, but are in the precarious situation of having to deploy immoral methods to achieve this coveted stature