The 19th century marked a series of historical events the American civil war, the abolishment of slavery and the expanding base of middle class in the US as a result of rapid industrialization. These historical events had a profound impact on the masses who found themselves going through a sea of change and without any medium to air their feelings. The American literature at this time adjusted itself to strike a connection with the vibes of uncertainty and despair that emanated from the masses-the beleaguered middle-class. In what were later characterized as literary movements, Realism, Naturalism and Impressionism were the pioneering tools used by writers to express themselves. There has been considerable debate about the similarities and differences between these forms of literature. Some scholars have characterized them as offshoots of each other. While at first glance these three schools of thought might seem similar, at closer introspection, their subtle differences surface. Three figures that have played an instrumental role in highlighting these forms of literature are Stephen Crane, Anne Sexton and Anne Bradstreet.
Stephen Crane and Anne Sexton had a common theme their works revolved around death and despair. However, their means of portrayal were different. In one of his most influential works The Red Badge of Courage, Crane talked about the harsh realities of war, and the insecurities of common soldiers who are often pushed into senseless misadventures under the guise of heroism. This piece of literature told the untold tale of soldiers who are sent and buried as heroes whereas in reality they have fears of their own. Anne Sexton however expresses fear, death and despair by confessing her troubled childhood in her works. The Red Badge of Courage was a realistic work as it did away with unrealistic romantic notions of heroism and highlighted the forced heroism and personal insecurity. Romantics would focus on the courage of the soldier and the heroic sacrifices he makes without taking into account the terrible ordeal of the soldier. The Red Badge of Courage is based on a battle during the Civil War and was published at a time when the Civil War had ended and there were attempts to quash the horrific tales of the war. The Civil War was being portrayed as conflict between two well meaning schools of thought and thereby its racist element was being ignored. Crane attempted to highlight some of the more uncomfortable aspects of war that are usually hushed up because of their controversial nature.
Much like the confusion plagued soldier in The Red Badge of Courage, the main character in Anne Sextons famous work The Farmers Wife follows a similar theme in that it shows deep-held feelings of revolt, but on the surface there was pure submissiveness. The woman has desires of her own, but rather than airing her views, she just gives in to the demands of her husband. By highlighting this discrepancy in what is desired and what is actually done, this work shows the profound impact of surroundings on a human being. Thus The Farmers Wife is a naturalist work. The subtle difference between realism and naturalism is that while realism resonates the actual situation of human beings and their helplessness, naturalism focuses on how an individuals environment shapes hisher desires and behavior.
The Open Boat by Crane conveys the helplessness of humans and the superiority of nature. The story is about men stranded at sea and how the sea, which is a symbol of nature, is oblivious to their plight. So while man might think that because of mankinds progress in leaps and bounds, it might have gained more control over its fate, it is essentially a self-satisfying analogy because nothing can challenge natures superiority. Owing to its emphasis on natures superiority, the Open Boat can be characterized as a naturalist work. The sea symbolizes the limitless extent of nature and its waves symbolize the fact that nature determines our course and we are at its mercy. A similar theme of helplessness and isolation is the undertone of Sextons The Addict. This work is an admission that we can only give ourselves an illusion of control, whereas actual control is beyond us. Sextons And one for my Dame and Cranes Maggie Girl of the Streets are also about unhappiness and helplessness. While Sextons character is vying for her fathers attention albeit without success, Cranes character is unhappy because of the poverty in which she is trying to survive. Cranes work is conveying the plight of those left without the fruits of industrialization. It tells the tale of people who often go unnoticed behind the barrage of factories that characterized industrialized US. These people lived in abject poverty, with not an iota of hope while the industrial complex boasted its ever increasing prosperity. Sextons And one for my Dame interprets the feelings and impressions of the character to convey her unhappiness. This makes it a work of impressionism the writer has used the main characters impressions about her father and sibling to convey her unhappiness. Cranes An Experiment in Misery was a similar work that reflected upon the unhappy life of the downtrodden.
Some literary pieces took this feeling of helplessness to a higher level by bringing in religion. Anne Bradsreet was a poet of the 17th century, however her work found much relevance in the 19th century US. As the American society was undergoing a lot of change, there were varied views about religion. There were some who had started questioning the role of religion, whereas there were others who wanted to safeguard religions most basic tenets. Anne Bradstreets Contemplations, In Contemplations, Bradstreet actually contemplates about God and His creations with the conclusion that when mortals would cease to be, He would still be present because of His everlasting nature.
Through this poem she exclaims that she does not feel grief because it was Gods will and was thus inevitable. This inevitability of God was a beacon of hope for the down trodden in the US of the 19th century. While those living in poverty were unhappy at the unfairness of life, Anne Bradstreets work conveyed to them the superiority of God and told them that everything stemmed from Him. Thus they should not be unhappy at their worldly losses because it was Gods will. This religious theme is also evident in Cranes The Open Boat. This work was an illustration of a personal story in which Crane had a near death experience. Crane describes how the forces of man struggle against the forces of nature, only to realize eventually that fate has to be accepted and that He who controls nature is actually in control of everything.
Thus it can be concluded that Realism, Naturalism and Impressionism were very powerful forms of literature, which were aptly applied by writers such as Stephen Crane, Anne Sexton and Anne Bradstreet. The turbulent transition that many Americans experienced during the 19th century was captured by the torchbearers of Realism, Naturalism and Impressionism. Stephen Crane gave voice to the voiceless, while Anne Bradstreet gave hope to the hopeless. Anne Sexton highlighted the unhappiness all around by means of her courageous confessions. The overarching similarity amongst these writers was their target audience all of their works were generally for the masses. What was a period of utter discontent amongst a lot of people, these writers served to explain and somewhat lessen the discontentment. Literature is indebted to their services.
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