The American realist movement began in 1865, at the end of the Civil War. How might the war have affected the literature of that time period? Give at least two characteristics of realism in your answer and explain how the war may have affected each.

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.