| Despite post-structuralist announcements of the death of the author and the pointlessness of such categories of "realism" and "naturalism," academics continue to question exactly what to make of the literature of the 1850s-1910s of the United States. This anthology of various issues in the debates is instructive in assisting students to become more familiar with some of the important concepts and thoughts that guide such concerns. The anthology is conveniently divided into areas of historical concern, critical theory, and case studies of various texts. The two sections on history and theory are by far the most informative that offers a relatively nuanced understanding on how naturalism and realism have defined over the years. The case studies section is informative but limited mostly to the canonical texts of the debates by such writers as Howells, James, Crane, Norris, Gilman, Chopin, Dreiser, London, and Sinclair. There is one article that ties James Weldon Johnson's "Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" to W.B. DuBois, but the connections are fairly obvious and have been covered more thoroughly and better by various Afro-American studies. Especially noteworthy is Elizabeth Ammons article on questioning the canon of how american realism has been constructed in the past. She makes an informative point about the diversity in such a category and how various authors with different racial, ethnic, and class backgrounds challenge traditional conceptions of how realism is defined (sexuality is notably absent in her discussion). Unfortunately, the editor of the volume did not take her advice to heart and include some of the lesser known realists and naturalists in the collection, such as Sui-Sin Far, Mary Wilkins Freeman, Jewett, Cahan, Pauline Hopkins,Rebecca Harding Davis, etc. Regardless, however, of the anthology's limits, it still offers a good understanding of the historical background of the time, the critical debates ensued about the terms, and the various types of realisms enlisted by Howells and James and the various types of naturalism promoted by such authors as Crane and Norris. A good "refresher" book for those familiar with such issues, and an excellent introduction for those who want to become familiar with two very important movements in the United States that are still largely overlooked and dismissed by the university. |
