The seminar Realism in Context took place in summer term 2005 at Landau University. The instructor, Prof. Dr. Martin Klepper, led the students through the seminar where each of the students had to present a topic related to or concerned with realism. As a result of the instructor’s and students’s work Prof. Dr. Martin Klepper published the paper Realism in Context - A Student Reader which was written by himself and the students.
One of the books that were read in class during semester was Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady. The central theme in this book is the relationship of the protagonist Isabel with Osmond.
The following seminar paper deals with the local color writer Sarah Orne Jewett, a female novelist, poet, and short-story writer. After explaining the definitions of realism and feminism in the second chapter, Jewett’s place in American Realism will be discussed in chapter three. Hereby it is neccessary to emphasize Jewett’s masterpiece The Country of the Pointed Firs, first published in 1896. Realism, feminism and feminist writing will be discussed and analysed on the basis of some selected works and texts.
In chapter four it is important to show Jewett’s life beyond gender and beyond her writing. Annie Fields, maybe Jewett’s best friend, played an important role in Jewett’s life. Sarah Orne Jewett’s best-known works will be introduced. Carol Schachinger, who is impressed by Jewett and her home very much, takes us to a “trip“ back to Maine to tell us how and where Jewett lived. At the end, the summary in chapter five closes the seminar paper.
The guiding line that will lead us through the seminar paper is Jewett as a feminist and beyond.
Pointing out the importance of The Country of the Pointed Firs, Willa Cather writes in a 1925 essay:
”If I were asked to name three American books which have the possibility of a long, long life, I would say at once, The Scarlet Letter, Huckleberry Finn, and The Country of the Pointed Firs. I can think of no others that confront time and change so serenely” (xviii).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definitions
2.1 Realism
2.2 Feminism
3. A “Woman’s Place” in American Realism
3.1 Local Color and Realism
3.2 Jewett’s Place in American Realism
3.3 Maine Person and Boston Professional
3.4 Realism, Feminism, and the World of Dunnet Landing
4. A Writer’s Life
4.1 Sarah’s Portrait and her Companion Annie Fields
4.2 Famous Works
4.3 Sarah Orne Jewett’s Maine – A Journey Back
5. Summary
6. Bibliography
Objectives and Core Themes
This academic paper aims to examine the position of the American writer Sarah Orne Jewett within the framework of 19th-century American Realism, specifically focusing on the intersection of her regionalist work and feminist perspectives. The central research question explores how Jewett's literature challenges the traditional, male-dominated definitions of "realist" writing by prioritizing female-centered narratives and communal experiences.
- The literary movement of American Realism and its standard, often patriarchal definitions.
- Feminist theory as a lens for analyzing literary structures and representations.
- The role of "local color" fiction in subverting mainstream realist conventions.
- The significance of Sarah Orne Jewett’s personal biography and her professional relationships, particularly with Annie Fields.
- A critical analysis of Jewett’s major works, specifically The Country of the Pointed Firs and A Country Doctor.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Jewett’s Place in American Realism
It makes a good deal of sense to associate Jewett with realism. Her father was quoted in 1892 in Jewett’s “Looking Back on Girlhood,” Youth’s Companion 65, when he early urged her: “Don’t try to write about people and things, tell them just as they are” (6). This piece of advice sounds like a credo of a realist. After Jewett’s death in 1909 Annie Fields published in 1911 Jewett’s letters where Jewett would advise Cather: “You must write to the human heart, the great consciousness that all humanity goes to make up. Otherwise that might be strength in a writer is only crudeness, and what might be insight is only observation; sentiment falls to sentimentality – you can write about life, but never life itself” (249). William Dean Howells who led the battle for literary realism in the 1880 and 1890s was Jewett’s first influential mentor in the literary world. As assistant editor of the Atlantic Monthly magazine Howells accepted and published Jewett’s first stories in 1869.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the scope of the seminar paper, setting the guiding theme of Jewett as a feminist writer and establishing the research context within American Realism.
2. Definitions: This chapter defines the theoretical framework by exploring various interpretations of realism and feminism, providing the necessary terminology for subsequent analysis.
3. A “Woman’s Place” in American Realism: This chapter analyzes how Jewett’s regionalist works, specifically The Country of the Pointed Firs, subvert established masculine literary traditions and depict a distinctively female-centered reality.
4. A Writer’s Life: This chapter covers the biography of Sarah Orne Jewett, discussing the impact of her upbringing, her close relationship with Annie Fields, and her major literary contributions.
5. Summary: This chapter concludes the paper by synthesizing the findings and reaffirming Jewett’s significant, yet unique, position within the American realist tradition.
6. Bibliography: A comprehensive list of primary and secondary sources used for the development and argumentation of the seminar paper.
Keywords
Sarah Orne Jewett, American Realism, Feminism, Local Color, The Country of the Pointed Firs, Regionalism, Annie Fields, Women’s Literature, Literary Criticism, A Country Doctor, Deephaven, 19th-century Literature, Gender Roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper examines the literary work of Sarah Orne Jewett to determine her specific role within the tradition of American Realism and to assess her status as a feminist writer.
What are the core thematic fields covered in the text?
The core themes include the definition of realist literary movements, the evolution of feminist theory, the exploration of local color regionalism, and the biographical context of Jewett's life.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to demonstrate how Jewett, through her focus on female communal worlds and specific stylistic choices, challenges the traditional "Howellsian" definition of American Realism.
Which scientific methodology is employed here?
The paper utilizes a literary-analytical approach, conducting a close reading of Jewett’s texts while integrating critical perspectives from literary theorists and contemporaries.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body treats the tension between male-dominated literary definitions and female experiences, analyzes specific works like The Country of the Pointed Firs, and explores the impact of Jewett’s life and relationships.
How would one characterize this work with keywords?
Key terms include Sarah Orne Jewett, American Realism, feminism, local color, regionalism, and female authorship.
How does the author characterize Jewett’s relationship with American Realism?
The author argues that Jewett "turns Howellsian realism on its head" by withdrawing from the so-called "world of men's activities" into a more authentic, rural, and female-centered communal reality.
What role does the setting of Dunnet Landing play in the analysis?
Dunnet Landing is analyzed as a symbolic community of women that stands in direct contrast to the "polar grayness" of masculine, failed power depicted elsewhere in the text.
How is the "Boston marriage" of Jewett and Annie Fields treated in the text?
The text refers to their relationship as a supportive, lifelong partnership that significantly influenced Jewett's writing and social life, noting that contemporary critics often use the term "Boston marriage" to describe such female bonds.
- Quote paper
- Ziad Attar (Author), 2006, Sarah Orne Jewett's Place in American Realism - Jewett as a Feminist and Beyond, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/63075
