Realism and Reconstruction: A Comparative Perspective

As the essays in this special issue amply demonstrate, realism and Reconstruction are inextricable. In U.S., was born crucible of Long Civil War,1 emerging as a vital mode for apprehending describing “reality” shorn Idealisms Transcendentalisms. That is one many reasons War repeatedly appear realist art literature, from novels such Stephen Crane's The Red Badge Courage, Henry James’ American, W. D. Howells’ Rise Silas Lapham (all which about soldiers or former soldiers),2 to poems Sarah Piatt Frances E. Harper paintings Winslow Homer. Many writers primarily known their commentary Reconstruction, like Albion Tourgée George Washington Cable, developed style philosophy they saw natural expression Reconstruction's aims effects.3 And connections merely hint at range variety mutual influences that linked both were rooted similar system print networks, historical conditions, cultural values.Recent scholarship, however, has made it abundantly clear complex, protean movements. Realism arose Europe early- nineteenth century, acquired proto-forms antebellum spawned an eclectic literary, philosophical, artistic forms, Pragmatism (a metaphysical realism) Naturalism (an offshoot fiction), appeared kaleidoscopic array media, magazines, photographs, sculptures, poems, short stories. This guiding threads criticism on realism, institutionalist accounts Nancy Glazener, Gene Andrew Jarrett, Elizabeth Renker4 philosophical work György Lukács legal analysis Brook Thomas: diverse representation produced by wide texts, formats, genres, ideas, aesthetics, platforms.5 Similarly, scholarly have transformed our understanding its parameters. If we view not simply short-lived political experiment but dynamic set ideas race, democracy, force law—an “unfinished revolution,”6 Eric Foner's words—then something materializes out world American extends through early-twentieth century.If indeed case, culturally variable historically convergent, invites broader questions relationship between inside outside United States. Is link these movements rhetorical, political, epistemological, some combination thereof? contiguity matter accident—a fortuitous aleatory collision circumstances specific late-nineteenth century States—or might signify general post-civil war culture? brief speculative essay, I seek answer all provide framework future research indicate possible lines inquiry. tentative argument wish pose mutually entangled because complementary ways reordering reimagining reality wake intrastate warfare.The difficult enduring task reconstructing country ravaged civil U.S. common with countries, Sudan Spain, China, Angola.7 Ann Hironaka observes, “lengthy wars distinctive feature post-World II era” “these been enormously costly terms human suffering.”8 High-intensity, conflicts—whether Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Philippines—involve distinct pressures challenges, do destroy polity; also social bonds previously held polity together, disrupting entire phenomenology belonging organized prewar society. reality-shattering well nation-shattering event. It coincidence cases, conflict spurs experiments way contain chaos impose sense order subject radical extensive change. James once remarked, “Life is, fact, battle. Evil insolent strong; beauty enchanting, rare; goodness very apt be weak. . But stands no narrow illusion, phantasm, evil dream night; up it, forever ever; can neither forget nor deny dispense it.”9One could certainly argue coincidence, tie result national, historical, cultural, institutional conditions nineteenth-century interpretation supported excellent recent scholarship contextualized alike granular detail, accounting literary dynamics “Jim Crow secularism” federal government's uneven military occupation postwar South, role regional places, cultures, dialects construction purportedly national lodged northeastern centers power prestige.10 Nonetheless, there patterns connection culture recur across boundaries, transnational dimensions literature demonstrated global ubiquitous—one even say foundational—in history.11To underscore point, let's play quick game. Where when did following events occur?Most Americans who consider sequence immediately think Reconstruction. above paragraph recaps history twentieth-century 1936 1939, experienced decades repression under General Franco, then commenced La Transición, effort shift—legally, culturally, ideologically—from autocracy democracy. broad sense, Spanish ongoing project continues realm public space, where memory Guerra Española hotly contested. years, numerous memorials destroyed attacked, grave Franco monuments International Brigades.If similarities ended there, situation Spain would present interesting ultimately inconsequential echo post-Civil However, spurred great deal writing. Whether spite intense ideological religious divisions fueled conflict, inspired tends emphasize brutality modern battle notion idealism goes die, paralleling fiction Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain, other unromantic War. Moreover, counterpart, multigeneric protean, involving ever-evolving stories, works, techniques, ranging socialist Carlos Fontsere stories Francisco Ayala, poetry Octavio Paz, magazines Plural, Ariel, Vuelta, Ramon Sender's Requiem Peasant (1953) Ernest Hemingway's For Whom Bell Tolls (1940) films José Antonio Nieves Conde's Surcos (1951) Luis Borau's Furtivos (1975).The emerges Transición particularly redolent suggesting warfare—and aftermath—generates shared aesthetic, ethical, epistemological concerns, central realism. Consider “The Tolerance Crows” (1937), poem penned Charles Donnelley, Irish activist killed Battle Jarama: Death comes quantity solvedProblems maps, well-ordered dispositions,Angles elevation direction;Comes innocent tools children mightLove, retaining pillowsInnocently impales any flesh.And flesh falls apart mindThat trails thought mind cutsThought clearly waiting purpose.Progress poison nerves andDiscipline's collapse haltedBody awaits tolerance crows.12War reduction body soul brute matter. “Body” (tellingly, unpossessed noun dissociated belonging) “awaits crows,” determined ideals force. takes form bullet, gas, battle-plans, dissolves almost everything worth preserving: discipline, childhood, life itself. regard, remarkably Herman Melville's Battle-Pieces (1866), lament mechanization rise cold, utilitarian logic. Modern war, Melville declares, machines: “No passion; went crank, / Pivot, screw, calculations caloric.”13 Renker argued, “Melville's eschews traditional poetic illusion attempts offer new vision, compatible (although surely identical to) projects his age.”14 Donnelly places emphasis fact feeling destruction, reiterating question posed outset Reconstruction: “What bullet undeceive?”15To “undeceive” see free romantic ideality. Yet how does know whether deceived? most haunting claim finds truth only experience, particular suffering. Auden declared “Spain”: stars dead. animals will look.We left alone day, time short, andHistory defeatedMay Alas cannot help pardon.16Auden's concern history's impotence bound concern, much conflict. keenly aware physical battles slowly gave battles, fight over identity became “continuation means.”17George Orwell's Homage Catalonia (1938) provides illuminating affecting account continuation. memoir perspective, chronicles experiences shattered illusions, dealings sordid realities camp (“The Latin type latrine, you squat, bad enough best, kind polished stone so slippery keep your feet”) terrors battlefield essential horror army barely affected nature happen fighting in. A louse bomb bomb, though cause happens just”).18 Orwell anxious fate war's during after Franco's power. By end 1930s, had begun morph into past present, ideologically motivated right obscured muddled meaning. “I fashion,” says, “to recorded lies anyway,” degree true: am willing believe part inaccurate biased.” modernity warps qualitatively distinct: what peculiar own age abandonment idea truthfully written. people deliberately lied, unconsciously coloured wrote, struggled truth, knowing must make mistakes; each case believed “facts” existed more less discoverable. practice always considerable agreed everyone.To drive point home, turns back World I: look last in, instance, Encyclopedia Britannica, find respectable amount material drawn German sources. British historian disagree deeply things, fundamentals, still of, were, neutral seriously challenge other. just basis agreement, implication beings species animal, totalitarianism destroys. Nazi theory specifically denies thing “the truth” exists. There “Science.” “German Science,” “Jewish etc. implied objective line nightmare Leader, ruling clique, controls past. Leader says event, “It never happened”—well, happened. he two five—well, five. prospect frightens me than bombs—and few years frivolous statement.19The censorship, suppresses apprehension. Catalonia, approaches writing anti-totalitarian act insists—verbally, ontologically, haptically—that exists best discern direct experience.20 thus develops, War, version Pragmatists War: predicated facts rather precepts. Orwell, Pragmatists, empirical belief actions inquiries.21Reconstruction, wherever occurs, movement ontological changes presents means reconceiving renegotiating war. Howells famously declared, before ever proper name “or put her capital letter.”22 Scholars verified assertion, documenting formal intellectual vibrancy perspectives, emerged long lasted it. realism—from comparative point-of-view—as violently modernized fundamentally remade.Marshall Berman observed, ago, experience constant upheaval itself: To ourselves environment promises us adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation world—and, same time, threatens have, know, are. [Modernity] pours maelstrom perpetual disintegration renewal, struggle contradiction, ambiguity anguish.23Berman's sweeping eloquent, leaves aspect modernity: dialectical entanglement Reconstructions, proliferated nineteenth, twentieth, twenty-first centuries. “maelstrom” inextricable countries throughout “this terraqueous globe” remade, often quite radically, wars, created types neo-realism emerge. Thus, accidental cousins. They kindred require produce another, far beyond borders.