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Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Howells, William Dean, --1837-1920;

Abstract

William Dean Howells {1837-1920), the designer, defender, and promoter of American Realistic literature, developed his theory of realism from his experiences with literature and life. When Howells was a young man, his view of life was fashioned from his reading of romantic literature. As he matured, he became convinced that literature which idealized life left its readers with illusions about life which distorted their perceptions of life and themselves. He came to believe that the function of literature must be societal in nature and must serve the moral and social purpose of providing its readers with an insight into their lives. During the closing decades of the nineteenth century, Howells was among the many middle-class Americans who migrated to Boston and New York to seek the fulfillment of their personalized American dream of success and happiness. Howells committed himself to promoting an American mode of literature which would aid these new city dwellers in coping with the complexities and ambiguities which they encountered. This theory of a realism with special moral and social purposes, which Howells developed as the editor of Harper's Magazine, began in rebellion against the romantic mode of literature. The controversy over realism arose as a result of Howells' editorials in "Editor's Study" and was concerned with the mode and function of American literature. The negative response to Howells' theory of realism was based on his rejection of the idealization of characters and life in romantic literature. Howells rejected this mode of literature, contending that it served only as escapism and did not offer its readers an insight into their lives. The growth and expansion of Howells' views of literature and life were reflected in his novels. Howells' novels written in the 1870's deal specifically with the conflict of societal standards which arise when individuals are confronted with societal backgrounds different from and often incompatible with their own. These early novels were intended to induce the reader to think about his or her conduct. The novels of the 1880's, by contrast, were designed to induce the reader to think about his or her moral and social responsibilities in the context of complex decisions which must be made in daily life. In these novels, Howells' characters are placed in direct contact with urban life. His characters must come to terms with their moral and social responsibilities and commit themselves to actively living their beliefs. The complex moral and social issues which Howells raises in his novels of the 1870's and 1880's are relevant to the reader of today. He does not pretend to provide solutions to the issues he raises, but offers his readers an opportunity to gain an insight into their lives and the lives of others.

Year of Submission

1977

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of English Language and Literature

First Advisor

Robert Ward

Second Advisor

Kenneth Baughman

Comments

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Date Original

1977

Object Description

1 PDF file (108 leaves)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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