Although Marie Josephine Diamond claims that Realism is most often portrayed in fiction stories and poetry, it is definitely evident in Abraham Lincoln's "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865," in which Lincoln wrote about the all too real conflict of slavery in his world (Diamond). Lincoln described how, although slavery was definitely an incredibly awful and terrible activity, if it was truly God's will than it was for the best (Lincoln "Second" 339). Granted, Abraham Lincoln was truly and utterly against slavery; however, he believed that God had a plan for the people, and if slavery was a part of that plan, we must all trust that God is indeed playing out his plan the way he wants to. Although this may seem cruel and unjust, Lincoln describes that all of the fighting and hatred regarding slavery was necessary in order for the conflict to be resolved, and that when the conflict was resolved people would be at peace; that was what God's plan was (Lincoln "Second 339). Although Realism does not typically mention how God is in control of a situation, this work of literature does certainly portray Realism in the way that Lincoln describes the situation (Diamond). Lincoln does not over exaggerate, nor does he make light of the terrible situation at hand. He, instead, describes his feelings in a blunt and honest way, which is an certainly an attribute of Realism (Diamond).
Much like "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865," Abraham Lincoln's "The Gettysburg Address" could be considered a work of Realism. "The Gettysburg Address"
addressed topics that were indeed all too real to Lincoln and individuals living in that time period (Lincoln "Gettysburg" 402). However, "The Gettysburg Address" also showed evidence of literature that does not necessarily point to realism, according to Marie Josephine Diamond. Like Lincoln's other related story, "The Gettysburg Address" does mention God, which was not a very typical trait of Realism, and it also was not a work of fiction, which Diamond stated most works of Realism were (Diamond). However, it is true that Realism does not necessarily have to be a work of fiction, and although God was mentioned, He was not actually the main focus of the story (Lincoln "Gettysburg" 402).
"The Gettysburg Address" was written to show how America was acting and reacting to the current civil war, and Lincoln shared his thoughts and feelings about the situation (Lincoln "Gettysburg" 402). This story, along with the related article, could both be considered works of Regionalism. Both articles described solely how people in America were acting, and although that definitely is a very broad setting, it does demonstrate a particular country and the different cultures within. Therefore, I think that both articles do portray Realism and its subcategory, Regionalism (Werlock). Regionalism, as mentioned in my blog about the literary style, depicts the traits and includes descriptions about things such as setting, dialect, culture, and history of a particular area (Werlock). In both of these excepts written by Abraham Lincoln, many of these topics were covered, such as some of the history, culture, and setting. Although it may seem that there is somewhat weak support for why these works are considered Realism, since God is so focused on, it is definitely evident that both of these excerpts strongly exhibit Regionalism.
WORKS CITED
Diamond, Marie Josephine, ed. "realism." Encyclopedia of World Writers, 19th and 20th Centuries. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= GEWW480&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 14, 2011).
Lincoln, Abraham. "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865." American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 339. Print.
Lincoln, Abraham. "The Gettysburg Address." American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 402. Print.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "regionalism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0581&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 13, 2011).
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