Romanticism and Realism

The story has two opposing literary styles. The story has uses Romanticism and Realism. The story shares Romantic ideals, the importance of nature and the individual, yet its style, and use of details, realistic settings, and realistic people exemplifies Realism. Generally these two styles are not found together but rather are present is very different types of stories. However in this story the author does a very good job at using them both together to create an interesting and engaging stories.

Realism a theory of writing in which the ordinary, familiar, or mundane aspects of life are represented in a straightforward or matter-of-fact manner that is presumed to reflect life as it actually is. “She was quite ready to be milked now, and seldom stopped to browse. Sylvia wondered what her grandmother would say because they were so late. It was a great while since she had left home at half-past five o'clock, but everybody knew the difficulty of making this errand a short one”(Jewett). As highlighted by this passage the reader is presented with the everyday tasks of Sylvia. The realism in the story adds an interesting view to the story that allows us to visualize the world the author is creating. In conclusion the use of this style of writing allows the realer to visualize the story.

Romanticism is a movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual. “Sylvia would have liked him vastly better without his gun; she could not understand why he killed the very birds he seemed to like so much”(Jewett). This passage shows just how the writer uses romantic elements in the story focused on Sylvia as an individual and shows how she values nature and the lives of these birds. This is also highlighted by the conclusion of the story where she chooses to protect the Heron from the hunter. 

By: Cullan Whelan