Part Three American Literature of Realism (1865—1914)

Chapter Two American Literature of Naturalism (1890s—1914)

What is Naturalism? Naturalism designates a literary movement

in the late 19th and early 20th century in France, America and England.

It applies the principle of scientific determinism to fiction and drama.

It views human being as animals in the natural world responding to environmental forces and internal stresses and drives, over none of which they have control and none of which they fully understand.

Philosophical Sources for Naturalism Newton—mechanistic determinism, Darwin—biological determinism and the metaphor of c

ompetitive jungle. Herbert Spencer—social Darwinism Freud—a view of the determinism of the inner and sub

conscious self. Comte( 孔德 ,French philosopher)—a view of socia

l and environmental determinism Emile Zola made the most influential statement of the

theory of naturalism

Three Major Features of Naturalism

Humans are controlled by laws heredity and environment.

The universe is cold, godless, indifferent and hostile to human desire.

Naturalistic writers are pessimistic. They choose their subjects from the lower ranks of the society.

Some characteristics of literary naturalism: the naturalists:

strive to be honest and objective, even documentary, in the presentation of the material;

try to be amoral in the view of human life, neither condemning nor praising human beings for actions beyond their control;

are pessimistic about capabilities, holding a deterministic view of life;

exercise a bias in the selection of characters and actions, frequently choosing primitive characters and simple, violent actions as best giving “experimental conditions”.

are frank and almost clinically direct in the portrayal of human beings as animals driven by fundamental urges—fear, hunger, and sex;

Differences among Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism Romanticism, Subjective Settings: exotic

Events: extraordinary Protagonists:

unusual View individual as: Devine, God

Realism, Naturalism Objective objective Common place; the slum, the

sweatshop, the farm

Ordinary; ordinary Everyday character; everyday cha

racter Common people; animal, human

beast

 Some major American naturalists and their representative works

Frank Norris—Mc Teague/The Octopus Stephen Crane—Maggie: a Girl of the Street/T

he Red Badge of Courage Jack London—The Call of the Wild/ The Sea W

olf Theodore Dreiser—Sister Carrie, Jennie Gerha

rdt, An American Tragedy