Topics for final exam

Literature of Abolitionism Abolitionism was the movement, which was directed at the abolishment of slavery at the Southern States of America. From the beginning of the 19^th century these Southern States began to play great role in the political life of the USA. The North of America was industrial. The plantation owners wanted to have more and more territories. In the West, there were free lands and the plantation owners claimed their hands to new territories. There were sharp contradictions between industrial North and slavery South. The progressive elements of bourgeoisie in the North opposed the claims of slave-owners and they started the movement of abolitionism. In the 30-ties, there were a number of Negro uprisings. Most of them were led by a farmer-abolitionist, John Brown. He led an uprising in 1859. It was defeated. And John Brown was hanged but his name is popular even now among the broad masses of people. The contradictions became sharper and sharper and were resulted in Civil War 1861-1865. The immediate cause of this war was the election of Abraham Lincoln to the post of the American President. He was a sworn enemy of slavery. This aroused the dissatisfaction in Southern States. When he was elected there was a revolt in the South. Two Armies were formed, of the Southerners and the Yankee Army. That war lasted during 5 years. It was ended by the victory of the North and the abolition of slavery. Under the banner of abolition all progressive people of America were united and they began to publish an abolitionist paper “The Liberator”. It was started by William Garrison. The paper exposed the slave-owners of the South.

American Realism Realism - Broadly defined as "the faithful representation of reality" or "verisimilitude," realism is a literary technique practiced by many schools of writing. Although strictly speaking, realism is a technique, it also denotes a particular kind of subject matter, especially the representation of middle-class life. A reaction against romanticism, an interest in scientific method, the systematizing of the study of documentary history, and the influence of rational philosophy all affected the rise of realism. According to William Harmon and Hugh Holman, "Where romanticists transcend the immediate to find the ideal, and naturalists plumb the actual or superficial to find the scientific laws that control its actions, realists center their attention to a remarkable degree on the immediate, the here and now, the specific action, and the verifiable consequence" (A Handbook to Literature 428).

Apologetic literature – it’s writers tried to create an illusion in the minds of people that every man in America stood his fair chance. Its motto was “Every shoeblack may become the President of the USA”.
Tender realists - they did not reflect the sharp political issues and gave a softened picture of reality.
“Red-blood” literature. - It justified the militarist expansion. They named the whites the superior race.
Pseudonym - is a name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from his or her original or true name (orthonym). Pseudonyms include stage names,screen names, ring names, pen names, nicknames, aliases, superhero identities and code names, gamer identifications, and regnal names of emperors, popes and other monarchs. Historically they have often taken the form of anagrams, Graecisms, and Latinisations, although there are many other methods of choosing a pseudonym.
Satire - s a genre of literature, and sometimes graphic and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government or society itself, into improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is often constructivesocial criticism, using wit to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in society. A term applied to literary composition that aims at an interpretation of the actualities of any aspect of life, free from subjective prejudice, idealism, or romantic color. As a way of writing, realism has been applied in almost every literature throughout history. As an attitude of the writer toward his materials, it is relative, and no chronological point may be indicated as the beginning of realism. Realism emphasizes objectivity and offers an objective rather than an idealistic view of human nature and human experience. Realism presents moral visions.TYPES The so-called “apologetic” literature. Its motto was “Every shoeblack may become the President of the USA”. There was another trend in American literature called “red-blood” literature. It justified the militarist expansion. They named the whites the superior race. Another group of writers called themselves “tender realists”. They did not reflect the sharp political issues and gave a softened picture of reality. Finally, there existed in literature the group of “Muckrackers”. They attacked various institutions representing publicist literature, not fiction. Most of them were journalists, and they exposed the ulcers of capitalism.

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