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Realism is a literary form of writing. It can be defined as "the faithful representation of reality" or "verisimilitude", which means genuineness or similarity. Realism also means a particular kind of subject matter, especially the portrayal of middle-class life. Studies of documented history and the influence of philosophy have both affected the rising of realism. The period of time in which realism was introduced includes the Civil War to the turn of the century. The term "realism" has been said to be difficult to define because it is used differently in European literature than in American Literature (http://www.gonzaga.edu/Becker/311/realism.htm). After World War I, American society, culture and economy changed dramatically. Americans wanted literature explaining what happened and what was happening to their society. They turned to realism, in the late 19th century. Authors began to create a general picture of present-day life. They pointed out the aspects that American society had in common with the general realities of life. In the late 1800's, William Dean Howells and Henry James, the two most famous realists of the nineteenth century, concentrated on changing American life. They believed novels "should present