The Realist Perspective:
W.E.B. Du Bois, H.L. Mencken,
and Ambrose Bierce

Introduction

Some Realists literature may seem rather drab and predictable at times, but many Realists managed to make names for themselves by being anything BUT.

W.E.B. Du Bois, H.L. Mencken, and Ambrose Bierce had a fresh take on a wide range of issues, some of which are still very much with us today. Their sometimes shocking public statements were meant to shake Americans out of their complacency and to get their audience to look at controversial topics of the day from a fresh perspective.

Dave Letterman Jay Leno This project is designed to make you are aware of the ideas they expressed and the methods they employed. One bit of background may be helpful. Some authors, but certainly not all, relied upon irony and satire for the effect they were trying to achieve. As with modern figures such as Dave Letterman and Jay Leno, humor often is at the core of satire. As you'll see, the humor sometimes had a pretty bitter nature, and not all of these authors even tried to make their statements humorous.

So, the essential question is as follows:
Who were W.E.B. du Bois, H.L. Mencken, and Ambrose Bierce, and what did they say that still has the power to amuse, to provoke or perhaps to shock, even today?
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The Task

You are to consult the resources listed below and discover something about the lives of these influential writers. Then, look through the many quotations from these men and find one from each that causes you to react strongly in one way or another.

Your reactions may vary widely. You may agree or disagree. You may find the statements funny or sad, thought-provoking or anger-provoking. Be sure to find some to which you genuinely can react, though.

The assignment is to write a personal essay in which you include your reactions to at least one quotation from each author. Your paper will, of course, begin with an introduction and end with a conclusion. The main topic will be your reaction to the quotations, but don't forget to consider why you think you reacted as you did. This may include experiences you have had or even philosophical attitudes you hold about the nature of mankind and the nature of life. You might even consider why these two men's writing seemed designed to provoke the reader and cause such a strong reaction.
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The Process

Consult the Resources section below and look through as many of the quotations as time will allow. Settle on one or two quotations from each writer, being sure to jot them down for future reference.

Then, give the matter some serious thought. Delve into your attitudes about what you've read and try to see the real reasons that a given statement has caused this specific reaction in you.

The final step is to write a clear expression of your findings in the form of a personal essay. Remember that in a personal essay, "I" and "me" are perfectly acceptable.
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Resources

W.E.B. du Bois W.E.B. du Bois
--W.E.B. du Bois
-- A Search for du Bois Quotations at Bartleby.Com
--The Souls of Black Folk

H. L. Mencken H.L. Mencken
--The Mencken Society Home Page
--Henry Louis Mencken Quotes
--Mencken Quotes Page

Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Bierce
--The Ambrose Bierce Appreciation Society
--The Devil's Dictionary
(NOTE: The Devil's Dictionary is a collection of words for which Bierce made up his own definitions. Click on a letter for a list of words; scroll over the words for his definitions.
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Evaluation

Papers for this class generally are evaluated wholistically. That means that your grade comes from the general impression your paper makes. While a separate grade for writing mechanics usually won't be given, an abundance of mechanical errors does give the impression that a writer has not been thorough about the preparation of the paper.

The most important element, though, is the depth of thought and understanding you exhibit in your paper. Remember that the basic guideline is to write briefly--get lots of information into the least possible space.
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Conclusion

This project can have some surprising outcomes! I hope it was interesting and beneficial.



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Orange High School
Hillsborough, NC
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