American Naturalism  Focus of Study  The Rise of Naturalism  Definition  Characteristics  Summary

Historical Background  The rise of Naturalism: 1. Industrialism: financial giants and proletariats. Western expansion: the impact of railroad 2. The theory of evolution of Darwin and Herbert Spencer: Darwin's The Origin of Species and Descent of Man(1870) offered a great challenge to the old idea of man being created by God.  Human beings are subject to the law of natural selection.  man suddenly found himself completely thrown into an amoral world, totally depending upon himself for survival.  This helped form an attitude of gloom and despair.  New trends to answer the theory in literature was the rise of naturalism.

The Origin of Naturalism  French influence: Emile Zola’s biological determinism and Flaubert’s economic determinism  It aims at a detached, scientific objectivity in the treatment of natural man.  Man is presented as an insignificant and helpless creature who acts according to his instincts in response to his environments.  He is like a puppet at the mercy of the physical conditions which surround him. Charles Darwin

Definitions  A type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings.  What is central to naturalism is the picture of an entrapped man against an indifferent world. Such gloomy picture of human existence emphasizes the powers of environment, heredity and circumstances. Man is a victim of forces over which he has no control.  Naturalistic texts often describe the futile attempts of human beings to exercise free will in this universe that reveals free will as an illusion.

Characteristics  Characters:  Often ill-educated or lower-class characters whose lives are governed by the forces of heredity, instinct and passion.  Setting:  Frequently an urban setting. Surface detail was chosen to present a gloomy and depressing setting.  Techniques and plots:  Naturalistic novel offers "clinical, panoramic, slice-of-life" drama that is often a "chronicle of despair".  Themes 1. survival, determinism, violence, and taboo as key themes. 2. The "brute” within each individual, comprised of strong and often warring emotions; and the fight for survival in an amoral, indifferent universe.

3. Nature as an indifferent force acting on the lives of human beings. 4. The forces of heredity and environment as they affect--and afflict--individual lives. 5. An indifferent, deterministic universe.  Practitioners  Theodore Dreiser  Stephen Crane Maggie: A Girl of the Street and The Red Badge of Courage  Frank Norris McTeague and The Octopus  Upton Sinclair The Jungle  Jack London The Call of the Wild and Martin Eden

Summary  Naturalism is always objective.  It deals frankly with sex and all man’s inner drives.  Its stark realism is often handled in whatever language a sordid situation demands.  Characters are usually persons with strong animal drives and weak minds.  Literary naturalism, in short, offers a very pessimistic view of life. Theodore Dreiser

Study Questions  1. Try to interpret the historic background of the naturalism.  2. How do you understand the characteristics of naturalism?  3. can you name a few practitioners of naturalism? Try to use one work of them to illustrate the features of naturalism.

Reference  Spiller, Robert E. The Cycle of American Literature: An Essay in Historical Criticism. New York: Macmillan,  Bartholow V. Crawford et al., American literature. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc  Dareel Abel, American literature. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.,1963.  George McMichael et al., ed. Anthology of American Literature. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1980.

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