American Realism and Naturalism

American realist and naturalist fiction portrays social experience through regional speech, detailed settings, and the pressures of work, money, and status. Mark Twain's narrative voices expose pretension and moral inconsistency, while Henry James explores the difficulty of understanding other people's motives. Edith Wharton gives social custom and private judgment a closely observed setting. Naturalist stories often place greater emphasis on circumstances that restrict choice. Across these differences, the literary interest lies in how particular people act within the demands and assumptions of their world.