Realists believed that the reputation took too great a role in society. The reputation was held to be the deciding factor of a person's social status and this placed tremendous pressure upon the people. Bret Harte believed that the reputation of a person, if not viewed favorably, was a reason for a person to be removed from society. This removal was based solely upon the reputation that the person had and how it reflected upon the town. Ambrose Bierce believed that in order for one to retain a good reputation, a person would make rash decisions and would take actions that in the norm the p…
