Literary Movement In The Storm And Mark Twain's Adventures Of

Literary movement in American Literature
American literature has constantly changed and evolved over time. Different literary movements characterized and explored the different phases of the American experience. In the late eighteenth century, after the civil war, different political and cultural changes took place in the United States that led to the development of new literary themes and techniques. First was Realism in which writers tried to depict real everyday life as it actually was - as ordinary people experienced it. Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” and Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” are two works that exhibit this literary theme. Realism then took a cynical turn to Naturalism in which the writers tend to look at humans as
subjects to nature who are unable to control their own destinies. Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” is a classic example of Naturalism. During the early twentieth century, a new literary movement known as Modernism increased and this was as a result of tremendous change in the United States after World War I. Writers depicted the spirit of the Jazz Age while the Harlem Renaissance celebrated African American art, music and literature. Ernest Hemingway’s “In Hills like Elephants” and Langston Hughes “I, Too” are prime examples of short stories portraying Modernism and Harlem Renaissance themes respectively. As the end of the twentieth century approached, American literature became more diverse. “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker is a classic that made Walker the most famous black woman in Contemporary America.
In Realist writing, characters face the kinds of problems and situations that readers might face in their own lives. Realists tend to use well-defined details and descriptions to provide a clear picture of a world that is sometimes unpleasant but creates a hero/heroine. “The hero/heroine in a Realistic work faces a crisis that prompts him/her to make a choice. Realists believe that we all are able to shape our own destiny, that although we may suffer greatly in our struggles against social constraints, we can make a "moral choice" by carefully weighing the results of our actions and then making a decision based on that consideration” (Perkins Lecture). Kate Chopin’s writings are known for its realism and focus on everyday lives of women and the controversial issues they face. “The Storm” which was written by Chopin in 1898, “questions traditional societal expectations of gender and marriage, calling into question conventional notions of womanhood and interrogating cultural and ethnic values in nineteenth-century America.” (Kirby 48). In her stories, Chopin challenges traditional beliefs with what she perceives to be reality. Calixta the protagonist in “The Storm” is faced with a decision on whether to engage in an adulterous affair with Alcee – a man who she once was in a relationship with. Although they were both married to other people, they still had a strong passion for each other. As the storm approached, so did Alcee who just needed somewhere to stay until the storm passed. When lightning struck the tree, Calixta unintentionally staggered back into Alcee’s arms and as the storm got worse, the desire and passion between Calixta and Alcee could not be ignored. “They did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms” (Norton Anthology of American Literature (Norton) 436). They finally explored their passion and longing for each other and the end of the storm signified the end of their passionate encounter. “The Storm” was written during the Victorian era when women in the United States were not allowed to vote or live outside the prescribed parameters of prescribed gender roles. Calixta who is the Realist Heroine finds her own identity and refuses to conform to the social norms laid out for her as a woman. She is not your typical realist hero who is just swept away by her lover but instead she participates in the affair as fully as Alcee and has no regrets.
Another example of a realist story is Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.
The story is about a young poor boy named Huckleberry who decides to do the right thing and help a slave escape to freedom. While hiding out on an island after he runs away to escape from his drunken father, Huck bumps into Jim who belongs to Miss Watson. At the time the story was written, the “right” thing for Huck to have done was to turn in Jim but he did not do that because deep down, he knew slavery was wrong. Instead, he rebels against the rules of society to do what he felt was morally right and took Jim along on his journey. He began to feel bad and was contemplating sending a letter he wrote to Miss Watson to tell her that he stole Jim but tore it up instead and said: “All right then, I’ll rather go to hell-and tore it up”(Norton 234). Huck refused to betray his new friend regardless of the consequences. Huckleberry Finn emerges as the Realist hero because he takes control of his own destiny by making decisions based on what he truly wanted instead of what society wanted or expected him to do. Even though he knows he is going to be in trouble if anyone found out, he refuses to conform to the rules set by the society and did what he thought was morally right by not turning Jim
in.
Realists sort to paint an unbiased portrayal of social issues and problems in American society after the civil war. “For Twain and other American writers of the late 19th century, realism was not merely a literary technique: It was a way of speaking truth and exploding worn-out conventions” (VanSpanckeren par.7).
From Realism came Naturalism. Like realists, naturalists strived to depict life as it is but they moved beyond realism to show that human beings are unable to control their own destinies because they are subject to natural forces beyond their control. Jack London was one of naturalism’s leading voices. In his short story “To Build a Fire”, London shows nature as a cruel force, which traps its victim and is indifferent to his struggle for survival. An unnamed protagonist and his dog travel along the Yukon to Henderson Creek. Although he had been warned about taking such a trip without a companion because of the extremely cold weather, he begins the journey to go meet his friends telling himself that “All a man need to do was keep his head, and he was all right. Any man who was a man could travel alone” (Norton 634). After a long struggle with the cold, and not being successful at building a fire to keep himself warm, he finally gives up accepting that the cold (nature) was more powerful than he was. The protagonist thinks: “Well, he was bound to freeze anyway, and he might as well take it decently” (Norton 638). Clell Peterson in the article “The Theme of Jack London’s to Build a Fire” says that: “Denied any significant awareness of his inadequate vision of the universe, the man nevertheless faces up to his own human limitations. This realization that his efforts to stay alive are futile and absurd steels him in “meeting death with dignity” and he succumbs to a death that is nothing but a comfortable sleep.” (Norton 638). Naturalism exposed the dark harshness of life and human struggles against the forces of nature.
A new literary movement evolved as a result of the violence of World War I and advances in technology. Some writers sought to capture the Jazz Age or Roaring twenties while others captured the feeling of isolation and confusion of the modern world into their stories. Modernists left a lot of blanks in their stories for the readers to interpret however they wanted to. The writing style of Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants” exemplifies this trend. The short story focuses on a conversation an American man and his girlfriend Jig are having. From the conversation, we can tell that the man wants the girl to undergo a simple operation that would make them happy again but there is no mention of what type of operation it is. Their conversation remains tense as the man tries to convince her to undergo the operation but says only if she wants to, even though it is clear that he wants her to have the operation. Enrique Millian author of “The Use of Pragmatic Politeness Theory in the Interpretation of Hemingway's 'Hills Like White Elephants” asserts that “in the Hemingway’s short story Hills Like White Elephants, basic dilemma is presented, that of a couple who are considering an abortion. As readers, we are constrained in our interpretation of the story by its brevity and almost total lack of description or explanation in the text. Consequently, we have to rely on higher-level schemata which cause us to see messages in certain ways" (par. 2). The simple operation the American and Jig are talking about is an abortion but Hemingway intentionally keeps “abortion” and “baby” out of their conversation to create confusion as often seen in modernism.
Another aspect of modernism was Harlem Renaissance in which African American talent was introduced into mainstream America. African American writers focused on different aspects of their life with some addressing racial inequalities, racism and social issues within the black community. Langston Hughes was one of the most popular writers in the Harlem Renaissance whose poems centered on the experiences of African Americans. “I, Too” which was written by Hughes refers to the common practice of racial segregation that African Americans had to face during the time the poem was written, but he is hopeful and optimistic that ‘tomorrow’ will be better and he will be able to seat at the table too. “The poem reflects Hughes's dream that one-day segregation will end. According to the poem, when that happens, all men, white and black, will sit together at the same table, sharing equally in the opportunities that the American dream offers” (Constantakis par. 1). In this poem, Hughes express a sense of racial pride when he says “They’ll see how beautiful I am/And be ashamed- “ (Norton 1040) and also provides a note of hope for African Americans in their struggle for equality’ (Perkins Discussion Board).
After the Cold War era, American literature became more diverse reflecting the cultural and political changes in the United States and stories written by women and people of color is now widely read and recognized. “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker was written in 1960 during the time African Americans were discovering their heritage and highlights two different interpretation of this heritage in a family. The object of conflict between Dee (Wangero), Maggie and their mother was the quilt that Grandma Dee handmade. Wangero wants the quilts but their mother already promised to give it to Maggie. She tries to convince her mother that the quilts will be better off with her but her mother in the end refuses and instead gives the quilt to Maggie. To Wangero, the quilts meant nothing significant to her. She was going to use them as decorations but to Maggie and the mother, they were an important part of their family heritage. David Cowart author of “Heritage and Deracination in Walker’s Everyday Use” states that: “Everyday Use addresses itself to the dilemma of African Americans who, in striving to escape prejudice and poverty, risk a terrible deracination, a surrendering from all that has sustained and defined them” (par.1). Wangero identifies herself with Africa but rejects her African American heritage.
Literary movements like Realism, Naturalism, Modernism, Harlem renaissance and contemporary literature characterized the evolution of American Literature from 1865 to present with each reflecting a change in American cultural values. Writers adopted a style and theme for their stories and poems based on societal changes.