The romantic period, which preceded the realist period, glorified war. The Civil War, however, resulted in the loss of many lives on both sides of the war. The horrific reality of the Civil War left no room for such an association in realist works. Realist writers such as Bierce, writing after the war, dwelled on the painful and gory aspects of war. The Civil War also led to a cynical and sometimes bleak outlook on life, which realist writing often reveals.
The romantic period, which preceded the realist period, glorified war. The Civil War, however, resulted in the loss of many lives on both sides of the war. The horrific reality of the Civil War left no room for such an association in realist works. Realist writers such as Bierce, writing after the war, dwelled on the painful and gory aspects of war. The Civil War also led to a cynical and sometimes bleak outlook on life, which realist writing often reveals.
For example, in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the protagonist experiences terrible events because of his indecisiveness, which troubles him while murdering his evil uncle. So, Hamlet’s struggle in dealing with the antagonist is what precedes the story.
