Reflection: Modernism vs. Realism

"Realism is the attempt to depict life as it actually exists, not as the author wants it to be in the present or the future, or imagines it was in the past" (Werlock). Modernism has the determination to dispense the past, and was a response to the change in thoughts and beliefs that were precipitated by intellectual developments and discoveries (Quinn). I started this reflection off by defining these two, because I think these definitions separate them from the very beginning.

In the realism time period, they talked about how life really was because a lot was going on during this time. We were getting more states, gaining more lands around Pacific, more businesses and industries, and our economy was just growing, so we had a lot going on around us. Realism writers did not want to just ignore what was going on around us, and encouraged people to open their eyes and see the real world. They wanted people to be honest and just share what was really going on. Even though there was a lot going on during this time, you really could not do anything about it. I think realism writers realized this, and instead of trying to change what the world was, they just accept how things are and know that they can not change it. They are real and just happy with what is going on.

Modernism, in my opinion, is way different than that of the realism writings. I know that there were only about 10-15 years in between the two, but they were in totally different times in the world and were not similar at all to me. In the modernism time, things such as women rights and African American views were starting to change. I think that the things going on in each time were a lot different. I think in the modernism period views were changing the most. The "American Dream" was changing and that was what the modernism writers did not like. I would consider the modernism writers to almost be rebels. I think they are rebels, because they were trying to change everything so that the dream got back to normal. They changed things like writing style but even went as far as to changing their clothes style. That is the biggest difference between modernism and realism, because realist writers just accepted how things were and wrote about it, instead of changing it like the modernism writers.

I think that modernism writings and realism writings are a lot different. I like realism writings better, and if I had to pick a certain one to read I would chose realism. I like people to be honest with me and tell me what is really going on, instead of trying to change everything and make it be something that it is not. Realism writers knew they could not change what was happening because it was out of their control, so they wrote about it and tried to go along with it.


Quinn, Edward. "modernism." A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gfflithem0508&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 15, 2011).

Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0575&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 15, 2011).