REALISM AND NATURALISM IN AMERICA Pierce Ciccone and Hana Hall pd. 8
Progressive Era (1890 s-1920 s) Progressive thinking started to take over America, which was making everything the best it could be and outside of the box thinking. This era held a range of economic, political, and social reforms.
History
Equality for: Unions Workers known as scabs would take the place of those on strike, which made it hard for the strikes to be successful. Workers began to fight for better conditions in the workplace. Going on strike was one way workers showed their frustration and desires for a safer work environment. The Supreme Court struck down on a New York banker by prohibiting the owner to make an employee work an excessive amount of hours.
Equality for: Women Renowned women activists during this time were Jane Addams, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Eleanor Roosevelt. The fight for equality, including suffrage, started as women began to change roles society outside of the home.
Equality for: Race Slaves freed by the Emancipation Proclamation were still segregated against throughout all of the United States while slavery still existed in the South. Small acts of protest would occur. The Battle of Wounded Knee was the last battle with Indians as they were consolidated out west. San Francisco nullified their action which segregated Japanese, Chinese, and Korean children due to pressure from the President.
Equality for: Social Classes Monopolies and unfair business practices were eliminated by the Federal Trade Commission. Wealthy business owners JP Morgan, John Rockefeller, and Andrew Carnegie dominated every industry while creating corruption among the government and a wretched working environment.
World Relations To answer the Venezuelan Crisis, Roosevelt announced the Roosevelt Corollary to prevent the invasion of European Powers. The Gentlemen s Agreement limited the number of immigrants from Japan to the United States. The sinking of the Lusitania contributed to the United States entrance into WW1.
Philosophy
Ideas Social Darwinism Idea that only the strong and wealthy survive and thrive while the weak and poor die off. Progressive Thinking Outside of the box thinking to make everything the best is could be and figuring out how to improve all aspects of life. Led to the increased production of goods, causing ripple effects among society.
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt succeeded President William McKinley after he was assassinated in Buffalo, New York circa 1901. Lively and young, he brought excitement and power while leading Congress and the American people toward progressive reforms and prominent foreign policies. Roosevelt fought for the common workers against the oppressive business owners.
Jane Addams Advocate for many causes. Dedicated her life to helping aid the poor in the cities. A proponent for women s suffrage and rights as well as labor reforms. She worked tirelessly to eliminate tenements and sweatshops, give rights to immigrants, and get rid of corrupt business owners.
Herbert Croly and Charles Merriam Herbert Croly was progressive philosopher, especially in politics and stressed the need for concentrated power in the executive branch. Charles Merriam was a political activist and progressive philosopher.
Scientific and Technological Naturalism and Realism Impact on Science and Technology
Theory of Naturalism Naturalism was the strong belief in finding truth through nature; nature was the key to knowledge and true understanding of everything The natural world and its properties explained all phenomena or miracles or simply discredited them Depiction based on accurate description of detail
Specific Naturalism Theories: Two main types- Methodological naturalism: The only true knowledge comes from applying the scientific method to all hypotheses. Principles in nature will weed-out unscientific hypotheses. Ontological Naturalism: All knowledge comes from a specific scientific area such as physics or biology and requires repeatable tests. NOTE: They cannot stand-alone they must combine to provide substantial information.
Contributors to Naturalism and Realism August Comte (1798-1857): Father of Sociology developed theory of Positivism; he believed in studying the inner-workings of nature through precise observation Charles Darwin (1809-1882): publishes Origin of Species in 1859; evolution is based on those adept enough to survive
Influential Technology Typewriters Already were invented but new model called the Daugherty Visible emerged in 1891 First front stoke typewriter keys rested in front of paper and pressed upward to type Produced by the millions
Literary Naturalism and Realism Impact on Literature
Literary Character Profiles Usually uneducated and lower class citizens whose life was the result of heredity, impulses and environment. When try to exercise free will, usually stopped by forces beyond their control.
Themes in Literature The fight for survival in an indifferent universe that does not care about one s fortune or failures; conflict usually man against man or man against nature Nature is indifferent to human life Personal success restricted by two inherent factors: heredity and environment Internal brute nature in everyone just waiting to be released
Authors and Sample Novels Theodore Dreiser and Frank Norris Dreiser An American Tragedy (1925) Norris McTeague (1899), The Octopus (1901), and Vandover and the Brute (1895/1914) Focused on social change and the individual during urbanization and the growth of big business Mark Twain Pudd nhead Wilson (1894)
More Authors and Sample Novels Jack London The Call of The Wild (1903) and The White Fang (1906) Explored the brute nature imbedded in animals and humans Upton Sinclair and John Steinbeck The Jungle (1906) Brought a socialist progressive ideology to the public s mind