There are three major strains of American Realism: regionalism/ local-color writing, psychological realism, and naturalism. Acknowledging obvious areas of overlap where one
Realism resembles another, each of these strains nevertheless puts its own unique emphasis on questions of American character, ethics, and worldview.
For this paper, compare and contrast the literary techniques and themes of two strains of American Realism in order to formulate your own judgment on how different texts give distinct answers to those questions. Analyze 2-3 primary texts with support from 1-2 secondary texts from course readings.
