Literary Realism in Fools by Silber, and Huck Finn by Twain - Term Paper Example

Literary Realism in "Fools" by Joan Silber, and "Huck Finn" by Mark Twain Realism, as a literary movement has paved the way for many discussions in the literary field. There are many who regard it as a true representation or portrayal of life events or what is called the ‘real.’ Realism or the realistic representations can be seen not only in literature but also in art, architecture, painting, and so on. As it has spread in various fields, it is difficult for one to define it properly. M.H. Abrams, in his ‘A Handbook of Literary Terms’ proposes the two perspectives of literary critics on realism when he remarks thus, “Realism is applied by literary critics in two diverse ways: (1) to identify a movement in the writing of novels during the nineteenth century that included Honore de Balzac in France, George Eliot in England, and Willian L. Dean in America, and (2) to designate a recurrent mode, in various eras and literary forms, or representing human life and experience in literature” (Abrams 258). Thus it is evident that realism exposes the reality in human life and the words of Abrams confirms it when he says, “realism is said to represent life as it really is.” Another significant thing regarding realism is its “artistic or literary portrayal of life in a faithful, accurate manner, unclouded by false ideals, literary conventions, or misplaced aesthetic glorification and beautification of the world” (Wheeler). In realism, the writers do not leave space for fantasy or adventure as in the case of romantic fiction, but they depict life in a matter-of-fact or straightforward way, dissuading the wide possibilities of imaginative coloring. While reading through a realistic fiction, it said that the common readers are taken to a realistic social world in which the characters resemble to them and the actions narrated have close association with their life situations. This makes the readers infer the characters as simply existing and there is probability for their actions to take place. When analyzing Joan Silber’s ‘Fools’— collections of short stories, on the grounds of American literary realism, one can see that her stories fulfill most of the propositions of realism. The characters in ‘Fools’ are life-like, and therefore the readers do not consider them as separate entities smacked with some supernatural powers. The proposed study aims to establish the fact that Joan Silber’s ‘Fools’ is an example of inherent realism through the depictions of ordinary characters, settings, themes and accents. A comparison of ‘Fools’ with Mark Twain’s, ‘Huckleberry Finn’ enables one to expose its close knit with realism. ‘Fools’ has often been considered as one of the best story collections of Joan Silber, the popular American writer. This collection includes six stories appeared as the eighth short collection books. While reading through the stories, one can cite the personal experiences of the writer, especially the time when she had to confront with the hard realities of life. It confers the story the first realistic touch, and in addition to this the inclusion of the anarchists in the New York City also provides the same feeling. The characters taken from real life situations and the personal experiences of the writer helps the readers to ascertain an emotional bond with the story. As the stories represent human life experiences, even the personal experiences of the writer herself, it is evident that the stories follow realism in them. Mark Twain’s ‘Huckleberry Finn’ is often evaluated as one of the best seller novels that used realism effectively. The story of the novel revolves around the boy Huck and his adventures. Many critics have identified realistic elements in Twain when they attempted a close reading of his novel. Twain’s association with realism begins with setting of the novel, that is, he selected the town St. Petersburg, Missouri, which lies on the banks of the Mississippi River as the background of the novel. By placing his characters in such a background and making them pronouncing the regional dialect, Twain enamored the novel with realism. Another significant fact is that he presented his characters as real people in a well constructed plot. Even the plot itself is realistic as it flows like river, moving at different paces. The events in the novel are realistic that the readers never feel anything unnatural – Huck’s moral dilemmas, his decisions to allow Jim to escape, the portrayal of an ugly society, the ill treatment towards the slaves, and so on makes the story legible and realistic for the readers. Moreover, one cannot identify any supernatural, transcendental, or surreal events which are generally avoided in a realistic novel. A comparison between ‘Fools’ and ‘Huck Finn’ render the realistic traits in them. In the anthology ‘Fools’ each story adopts themes from ordinary life. The first story ‘Fools’ resorts to the quite common themes found in society like execution, love, marriage and cheating. The second story, ‘The Hanging Fruit’, takes episodes from the life of Anthony, who narrates how he spoilt his own life with drinking and illegal affairs. Louise, the daughter of an anarchist narrates her life history in the third story, ‘Two Opinions.’ Her narration throws light to the bitter and unsatisfactory life she had to undertake. How Marcus was deceived by Nico Marcus is the central theme of the fourth story, ‘Better.’ The fifth story, ‘Going Too Far’ narrates the clash between the spiritual and practical life. The final story, ‘Buying and Selling’, is revolved around Liliane, who tries to hoard money by stealing from Antony. The selected themes and the characters in these stories clearly show the realistic touch in them. “…Silber indicates that our personal happiness is intertwined with a broader social responsibility — that we are all in this together” (Brady). It should be noted that realism is closely connected with society and such a link has been clearly established on ‘Fools.’ To conclude, one can state that the ‘Fools’ is an example of literary realism as it provides many instances through the settings, themes, characters and plot. Some of the characters in the stories have even resemblance to the writer vindicating the realistic view points. In comparison, one could identify that ‘Huckleberry Finn’ as a best example for realism as it produces much evidence through the adventures of a quite ordinary boy, Huck. The author has also included the psychological traits of the characters that enable the readers to have an emotional attachment with them. Therefore, the study can be concluded by stating that Joan Silber’s ‘Fools’ is an example of inherent realism through the depictions of ordinary characters, settings, themes and ordinary language which provide a realistic touch and make the stories legible for the readers. Works cited: Abrams, M.H., A Handbook of Literary Terms. Wads-Worth, Cengage Learning India Private Limited, 2009. Print. Brady, Michael Patrick. ‘Fools’ by Joan Silber - The Boston Globe. 04 June 2013. 31 March 2014 . Wheeler, L. K. Literary Terms and Definitions: R. web.cn.edu. 24 April 2014. Web. Read More