Romanticism and Realism's Approach to Social Justice

During the Civil War in the United States, there are two major writing ideas shaped by society and the living conditions of America that started to develop: Romanticism and Realism. They were opposite in most ways but also has some similarities. Romanticism embraced the abstract ideas and unreal stories, while Realism believed the experiences gained from real-life events were more impactful. However, both literary perspectives are aimed to spread what they believed was the “social justice” to the public.    

Walden, by Thoreau, convinces its readers that the beauty of life is only truly seen when one lives simply and not in a hurry. Thoreau states, “An honest man has hardly need to count more than his ten fingers, or in extreme cases, he may add his ten toes, and lump the rest”(Thoreau). What Thoreau infers in this sentence is that if one is honest one shouldn’t need to think that much in daily life. Thoreau mocks those who are not “an honest man” because he thinks people have to be smart to lie . Thoreau says that if one never took any advantages of others and was honest all the time there would be no need to live a complex life, since ten fingers are enough for remembering everything one did. He also indicates that with present day life there are too many useless communications and too much unnecessary information that would distract one from honest and useful information. In the text, Thoreau states, “if you are acquainted with the principle, what do you care for myriad instances and applications?. What Thoreau means is that knowing how an event happened is enough to understand any actual cases. Thoreau wants to convey the idea that it is unnecessary to know any current news that happened in the present if it wouldn't give any new understanding of this world, and which makes it a gossip instead of useful information. Walden embraces the idea of Romanticism, as it includes the concept of simplicity in its text. Walden’s type of Romanticism denies the present complex society and seeks a more natural one.    

The excerpt What to the Slaves is the Fourth of July is a good example of realism because it connects to real life events Fredrick Douglass experienced of slavery. The author, Fredrick Douglass, connects his writing to the real-time event, which is the independence day of 1852. He conveys the idea that it is ironic that the United States government claimed it seeks liberty and justice, but meanwhile, it also oppresses and exploits the black citizens in the country. Douglass wrote, “The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has bought stripes and death to me”. He expresses that although white American citizens could celebrate they were freed from British government, they, as black citizens, could not celebrate because the “sunlight” of liberty had only brought pain and restriction to them. Douglass also presents the unjust side of the United States: i that “all men are born equal” wasn’t true for black citizens. Douglass states that, “I am not included within the pale of glorious anniversary!”, by which he means all colored people (Douglass). The Fourth of July has been a day of liberty and justice for whites, but not for colored citizens . He infers black citizens’ position in the United States, in which they were neither given freedom nor good living conditions. Therefore, the black citizens were “not included” in the big festival of celebrating liberty Americans gained from the British government.    

By comparing the two attitudes of Thoreau and Douglass, it is obvious that Romanticism and Realism take a very different approach to social justice. Romanticism developed prior to Realism in the US in the late 1800s to early 1900s; however, both literary perspectives were close to the time period of Civil War. Romanticism and Realism developed for the purpose of improving the society and life conditions largely affected by the war happening on Americanland. Walden and Douglass both accounted that the present society needs to be changed to become a better, more honest, simple and equal one, which they considered “justice” in their writing.