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Realism Era by Renato Motta

Literary history tells us that realism and naturalism were aesthetic movements that emerged in American fiction at the turn of the nineteenth century. Cultural histories of the era tell us that social ideals about what constituted the "real" and the "natural" were fiercely debated by Americans as they coped with the revolutionary changes that turned their worlds upside down between the Civil and First World Wars.

The industrial revolution in the 19^th century led people to leave their homes in rural areas to seek new opportunities in the cities. Because of the development of new machinery the economy became more focused on factory production and Americans no longer need to rely on farming to support their families. Immigrants from all over the world wanted to take advantage of the urban opportunities. All of these factors economic, social, and political changes that took place in post-war life allowed American Realism to prevail.

During the time of the Industrial Revolution, the Naturalism movement was taking root in American literature. Naturalism was a literary movement of the late 19^th century that yielded influence on the twentieth. It was an extension of realism, a reaction against the restrictions inherent in the realistic emphasis on the ordinary, as naturalists insisted that the extraordinary is real, too.