Esay Sample on Realism in Bret Harte's Literature

Introduction

Bret Harte holds a place in the history of American Literature as the author several excellent articles including both stories and poems. The distinct contemporary success of the writer is evident by the fact that, his work displayed a unique ephemeral locale at a period where that was the leading material. Similar work of art is visible in his fellows in the field of dramatic incident and local colour such as Rudyard Kipling and Jack London. The current generation has considerably toned down the praise of Harte as a dominant figure in the America literature, and the attention has shifted to his importance in developing short stories in America.

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The school of realism is filled with a vast variety of writers. One school is that championed by William Dean Howells that focuses on bringing out the effect of realism in a more ambiguous aspect of fiction that does not mainly concentrate on specific details. The principal objective of this group is to display fundamental human facts in an artistic, literary manner, a method which can be referred to as the conservative realists. Another group is the one dominated by Zola, the class of natural realists. The group of writer's champions the concept of scientific realism. The authors in this group maintain the idea that they depict life as it is. Bret Harte literature cannot be categorised in either of the two groups. He scorned the indecency in art and struggled to represent his characters as close as possible to the typical scenario. He achieved his realism by Defoe method of accumulating facts and then sinking deep into specific details to assist in portraying verisimilitude (Wander and Ryan 147). A notable example is the opening paragraph of his article, ''A Waif of the Plains'' where he gives in-depth description using both colours and shapes and similarities. The same literary technique is evident in his description of the lone Indian in the same story and also at the beginning of his fun little article, ''High Water Mark''.

Consequently, Harte attempts to achieve the idea of realism by restricting the audience perception within the confines of minor details. The method is displayed in his parodies. A good example is '' My dear rose,' I said, laying down my egg spoon,' I am not to blame if I resemble the S'helphurgs'.'' In the parody, the egg spoon is not in any way related to the speech, but it still managed to add a very delightful flavour to the article. It should be noted that in the times of Harte, realism was not defined as it is in the modern literature field.

In the time of Harte writers such as Dickens, Charlotte, Thackeray, George Eliot, and Bronte were viewed as realists (Vanwieren and Rachel 285). The articles of Harte enable him to join the group of realism at that time. Therefore, it is normal to say that his realism from the perspective of the contemporary reader may not in its entirety be truthful. The interpretation does not repress the fact that he sank utterly in the sea of self-satisfaction and complacency that his articles were a real mirror of precision regarding human life and he thoroughly upheld his version of tin-gold realism.

Harte achieved his ideology by associating to the approach of detailed description as opposed to psychological assessment of temperament, personality, and character. His works are full of controversies how he develops and delineates characters and also a little element of dramatic plausibility. Some of the tricks he employs in exploiting the field of contrast, and paradox my considerably be irritating to some readers. For example, he insistently and repeatedly propagates his concept that most of the evil people invariably display an outward picture of saints (Owens and David 80). He holds that the only honest people in a group are those that have the most sinister cast. One notable example of his work is ''The Luck of Rearing Camp''. The article displays beautiful, dramatic elements but it can also be used to justify that, Harte did not treat his works as art but a profession.

Conclusion

The current psychology is in contrast since it broadly depicts the ideology that negative and positive traits illuminate each other each other by their dissimilitude presence on a single individual. Harte's tendency of upholding his love for theatrical is not limited to his characters, but it is evident in the descriptions the settings of his narrations. A superficial examination of his work may lead to a conclusion that he was a depicter and lover of nature. But an in-depth analysis of his work will display him to use the scenery to ornament his stories. Like his article ''Tennessee's Partner'', where Tennessee is facing trial as a highwayman in a rough but orderly courtroom, the element of contrast is still evident.

Bret Hart has a place in the history of American literature. He had a vision and spent most of his life reminding himself and the readers of his realistic way of portraying human. Most of his works displayed his preconceived notion of fiction as close to real life as possible and meant to preserve the picture of ancient manners and customs.

Reference

Owens, David M. "Back from" That Literary Hell, the Footnote": Sarah B. Cooper's Overland Monthly Writings." American Literary Realism 50.1 (2017): 76-88.

Vanwieren, Rachel. "Sketching Social Mobility in the Gold Rushes of California and Patagonia: Bret Harte and Manuel Rojas." Hispanofila 173.1 (2015): 281-291.

Wander, Ryan. "Heterochronic West: Temporal Multiplicity in Bret Harte's Regional Writing." Western American Literature51.2 (2016): 143-173.