Literatura norte americana

UNIT I :
AMERICAN REALISTIC WRITING

Throughout the 19th century, in western Europe and the United States, a momentous economic process advanced, changing the nature of society. This process was industrialization. From the beginning of time, the life of man had been the land , the rhythm of planting, growth, and harvest, the cycle of the seasons. With few exceptions, men lived on farms or in small towns. But industrialization changed this ancient environment of man. Factories and cities now surrounded him. This process brought with it new social attitudes and new cultural values. During the first half of the 19th century, Romanticism had been the dominant cultural movement of the United States. With the overwhelming growth of industrialization after the Civil War, a new cultural movement appeared in the United States from Europe, Realism. Realism was both a reaction to Romanticism and a development out of the accelerated social forces of the late 19th century. Romanticism had described a world of emotion and intuition which eventually appeared sentimental and arbitrary. Among American writers the most distinguished Realistic novelist was Henry James. He is also one of the most profound literary artists the United States has ever produced.

Henry James (1843 – 1916)

One of America’s greatest writers, Henry James is best known for the way he creates very detailed and complex characters in his novels. James was born in New York City into a wealthy and prominent family. The family moved frequently, and James lived in France, Germany, England, and Switzerland. At age 19 he enrolled in the Harvard Law School but preferred reading literature to studying law. He published his first story, ‘A Passionate Pilgrim’, two years later and became a regular reviewer and contributor for literary journals. Although only in his 20s, he was considered to be one of the country’s finest story writers. In 1875 James settled in