In literature, the dominant figure after the Civil War was who?

Question

A. Kate Chopin
B. Henry James
C. Mark Twain
D. Stephen Crane

Answer 1

Twain Pax - C.

Answer 2

Mark Twain, but never include Henry James in American Lit. , . As to also dominant Would be Poe. A short story American master. Your question encompassing Civil War implies some sort of bias, after the Civil War..., where is Faulkner??? Why not list dates: anti-deluvian, ante-belleum (sic) botjh. Too much diversity, too much time , ex, Twain vs. Chopin.

Answer 3

C. Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Reason.
Twain was already an established author and humorist. He had a literary and populist following throughout both the North and South. His works would have been anchor in the emotional morass of the time. He was already available to school children. People would have clung to His particular philosophical/bucolic way of entertaining them in an effort to ameliorate the period 1861-1865.
Steven Crane did not write "The Red Badge of Courage " until 1895, 30 years after the end of the Civil War.
Henry James Was, likewise a newcomer,publishing His first work (Watch and Ward) in 1871.
Kate Chopin (Katherine O'Flaherty) would have been considered a "Ladies writer" regardless of Her attitude towards the social system of the day.

I note that You did not include Walt Whitman (a contemporary of Clemen's) in Your list. For my momey He would have come a close second to Twain.
Sorry, just My personal opinions. Cheers!

Answer 4

I could argue for any of the four, but I'll say

B. Henry James

Mark Twain was more popular by far than James (although Janes was popular in his time and was serialized in magazines). Twain is more iconic.

But James--known as "the Master"--and his artistic standards and the theories which which he back them had immense influence over not only generations of writers who followed him, but on at least a generation ofpeople who wrote the standard textbooks on how to write fiction/ In the long run, AMONG WRITERS, he had a greater influence than Twain; therefore it might be accurate to say he DOMINATED American fiction in a way Twain never did.

On the other hand, Twain wrote HUCKLEBERRY FINN which many people consider the first truly American novel. (I'm not one of them; I'd give either Melville or Hawthorne the honor."

Kate Chopin wrote the very important novel THE AWAKENING, how justly considered a classic, but in its time it did not succeed commerially and she wrote too litle to be considered the dominant figure.

Crane was perhaps the greatest innovator on this list, but he died young, without a truly complete body of work. Nonetheless his poems, his experiment with naturalism in MAGGIE GIRL OF THE STREETS, and his symbolism in THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE, as well as his occasional essays on writing surely establish him as a leader.

Answer 5

Well, Samuel Clemens lived in the late 1800s, and the Civil War ended in 1865, so I would go with C, Mark Twain.

Answer 6

It had to be Mark Twain since the others were not writers... but then, you knew that... right?

I would have named Walt Whitman because he was the doniment writer during the Civil war and considered the chronicler of the war.

Answer 7

Mark Twain
In the long run, he is the author which no American author can ignore.

Answer 8

twain