(Warning, this forum requires good critical reading skills. Take your time to review the stories for this section and annotate your text to help you compose accurate, well-supported answers.)

American literature experienced a seismic shift as a result of the Civil War, from the Romantics’ adoration of nature and embrace of the mystical to the Realists’ raw reporting of life as they saw it. Hamlin Garland advised his contemporary writers: “To know Shakespeare is good. To know your fellow-men is better. All that Shakespeare knew of his fellows you may know of your fellows, but not at second-hand, not through Shakespeare, not through the eyes of the dead, but at first hand” (55).

If you are familiar with Mark Twain, you might be surprised by the two short pieces in our unit—these are not humorous sketches or coming-of-age anecdotes; rather, these essays deal with the injustices of slavery and the brutality of war.

A. Describe how Twain uses regional dialect in “A True Story” (p. 67) and detail to illustrate Aunt Rachel’s depiction of her life as a slave, and include a quote to show this impact(Warning, this forum requires good critical reading skills.&nbsp; Take your time to review the stories for this section and annotate your text to help you compose accurate, well-supported answers.)<br>
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American literature experienced a seismic shift as a result of the Civil War, from the Romantics’ adoration of nature and embrace of the mystical to the Realists’ raw reporting of life as they saw it.&nbsp; Hamlin Garland advised his contemporary writers:&nbsp; “To know Shakespeare is good.&nbsp; To know your fellow-men is better.&nbsp; All that Shakespeare knew of his fellows you may know of your fellows, but not at second-hand, not through Shakespeare, not through the eyes of the dead, but at first hand” (55). <br>
If you are familiar with Mark Twain, you might be surprised by the two short pieces in our unit—these are not humorous sketches or coming-of-age anecdotes; rather, these essays deal with the injustices of slavery and the brutality of war. <br>
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A.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Describe how Twain uses regional dialect in “A True Story” (p. 67) and detail to illustrate Aunt Rachel’s depiction of her life as a slave, and include a quote to show this impact (or, How would this piece be different if it did not use dialect?).&nbsp; What is Twain’s (implied) thesis in “A True Story”?&nbsp; <br>
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B.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In “The War Prayer” (p. 107), how does the “aged stranger” challenge the “ignorant and unthinking” congregation from the pulpit, and what does the final line indicate about the congregation’s response? <br>
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C.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Finally, how do these two essays portray Hamlin’s call to “know your fellow [man]”?&nbsp; Would you call these essays expressions of Realism and why? (or, How would this piece be different if it did not use dialect?). What is Twain’s (implied) thesis in “A True Story”?

B. In “The War Prayer” (p. 107), how does the “aged stranger” challenge the “ignorant and unthinking” congregation from the pulpit, and what does the final line indicate about the congregation’s response?

C. Finally, how do these two essays portray Hamlin’s call to “know your fellow [man]”? Would you call these essays expressions of Realism and why?