Naturalism 1880-1920

Review Romanticism Transcendentalism Realism Naturalism 1770-1860 Edgar Allen Poe Robert Barrette Browning Transcendentalism 1830-1860 Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau Realism 1860-1900 John Steinbeck Mark Twain Naturalism 1880-1920 Edith Wharton Jack London

The background of Naturalism Grew out of Realism Could be considered the pessimistic brother of the Realist movement Tries to portray life as close to reality as possible Chose to write about the everyday man or woman Focused less on a journey or plot in a story More about the development of the characters

A scientific evaluation Think of Naturalism as Realism through a Scientific lens Emile Zola, a philosopher, considered people to be “human beasts” Believed we ought to be studied just as animals Studied in relation to the world around us Therefore, our lives are predetermined and we have no true “free will” What are our lives predetermined by? Environment Heredity Chance Fate???

What does that mean? Instead of choosing to act in a specific way because of our free will, we humans simply react to the things happening around us Our reactions could be based off of instincts or the environment around us For example, say you’re lost in the woods Even if you’ve never been camping, your instinct may be to find food and shelter In Realist writing, your story would include your struggle to decide what to do You feel cold, and you have to figure out how to get warmer In Naturalist writing, your story would include how you simply react and wouldn’t focus on any decision-making You feel cold, so your subconscious tells you to find the sunlight or a fire

The Motto of Naturalism Nature doesn’t care about you

Common Subjects Survival Determinism Violence The Taboo The idea that all of human life is predetermined Violence The Taboo Each person’s “animalistic brute” they have on the inside Constant struggle between this passionate being and a controlled self Nature is an indifferent force This is NOT the same as Nature acting as an antagonist

Indifferent vs. antagonistic Indifferent Nature NOT NATURALISM Antagonistic Nature Nature doesn’t have any feelings about you one way or another Think about any natural disaster ever There’s no meaning behind it, just poor time and place Consider the woods in any horror movie Tucker and Dale Versus Evil Nature is trying to mess up your life Think about a hurricane hitting and destroying a lab where artificial life is being created Consider the forests in The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

To summarize A man said to the universe: “Sir, I exist!” “However,” replied the universe, “The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation.” -Stephen Crane (1899) The world isn’t looking out for you simply because you’re alive The world also isn’t trying to destroy The world simply doesn’t care