What other subcategory was created under the realists?

• A. The maximalists
• B. The ironists
• C. The transcendentalists
• D. The minimalists

Answer: (B)

Realism in American literature often branches into different approaches to portraying life as it is lived. One subcategory that emerged under Realism is the ironists—writers who foreground irony to critique social pretensions and the gap between appearances and reality. They often let characters’ beliefs be tested against real-world consequences, revealing that what people think or say doesn’t always match what life shows. This stance sits apart from movements like transcendentalism, which centers on idealism and inner truth from a Romantic perspective, and from terms like minimalists or maximalists, which aren’t standard Realist subcategories. So, the ironists are the subcategory created under the Realists.