MAN VERSUS WILD: NATURALISM  Watch the video clip on Man versus Wild and respond to the questions below at the below. Please write the questions at the beginning of your notes for today. 1.Do you believe that you have a connection to the environment around you? 2.Do you have a responsibility to help keep nature in balance with humanity? 1

By: Esther Lee Samantha Jones Natalie Kilstoff Jace Erlanson Tonisha Burrow NATURALISM

NATURALISM IS… Naturalism- A literary movement that originated in France in the late 1880s to 1940s Naturalism was an outgrowth of Realism Naturalism is man struggling against nature However, Naturalist works are more likely to be Political than traditional realist works Naturalism is an approach to spirituality and morality without supernaturalism. 1. Influenced by Charles Darwin’s idea 2. Attempts to combine the scientific examination of reality with the subjective sensory experiences of spirituality and visuals. Believed that one’s heredity and social environment determined one’s character 3.Pessimistic on everything in life 4.They feel like they need to fight back to protect themselves from the world

Authors Jack London is considered one of the most successful writers of the early 20 th century. He wrote from his own experience and hardships, and his stories consisted of men and animals against the environment. His work embraced the concepts of unconfined individualism and Darwinism in its exploration of the laws of nature. The Sea-Wolf is said to be London’s best novel, and embodies his experiences at sea.

… Continue Stephen Crane was not a successful writer right away. His first novel, Maggie, a Girl of the Streets: a Story of New York was not successful. After college, Crane wrote sketches and short stories for newspapers. The Red Badge of Courage (started as a serial) gained Crane almost instant fame. “The Open Boat” is said to be Crane’s best work. It is his account of being on a boat after the Commodore sank.

During the naturalist movement, the environment (especially the social environment) played a huge role, usually becoming its own character and guiding the characters in ways they don’t consciously recognize. The plot of naturalist writings was not the main focus; it came second to the inner workings and feelings of the characters. The dominant theme of naturalist works of literature is that people are fated to their life based on their heredity, environment, and social conditions. Naturalists were very pessimistic and primitive elements that negated human reasoning was a reoccurring theme. Naturalists tended to take the world as it was, whether that was good or bad. STYLISTIC DEVICES

 Although they used the techniques of accumulating detail pioneered by the realists, the naturalists had a specific object in mind when they chose the segment of reality that they wished to convey.  Symbolism is intended to evoke particular states of mind such as a man’s thoughts on nature.  In the novel “Call of the Wild,” by Jack London, the example of the dog's life-and-death struggle to adapt himself to a hostile environment is an example of allegory.  "The Open Boat, "by American author Stephen Crane, is notable for it’s use of imagery, irony, symbolism.  - The author often tries to maintain a tone that will be experienced as objective. …CONTINUE

Characteristics  Pessimism - a character tends to repeat a phrase having a negative outlook, which sometimes emphasizes the certainty and quality of death  Detachment - the author tries to maintain an objective tone and creates a neutral or change by introducing nameless characters.  Determinism - the idea that individual characters have a direct influence on their lives is replaced by a focus on nature

…continue  Naturalist’s stories portray that nature is not affected by human struggle  Naturalistic works exposed the dark harshness of life, including poverty, racism, sex, violence, prejudice, disease, corruption, prostitution, and filth  Common characteristic of literary naturalism is the surprising Twist at the end of the plot  Characters tend to be ill-educated or lower-class characters whose lives are governed by the forces of heredity, instinct, and passion. Their attempts at exercising free will or choice are hamstrung by forces beyond their control

Elements O Naturalism is basically the understanding that there is one world and that we are completely included in it. It is the understanding that everything we are and everything we do is connected to the rest of the world. There are three words that capture the essence of Naturalism: O Connection: Everything they do and are is connected to the rest of the world; they are shaped by the conditions that surround them. Naturalists believe we are unfolding natural processes of a cause, and a cause itself. O Compassion: They are fully caused creatures and cannot take ultimate blame or credit for what they do. Naturalists have an ethics of compassion and understanding towards themselves and others.

O Control: Since they understand how and why they behave as they do, they believe that they gain more control. Naturalists believe it helps to create conditions that promote constructive personal and social change. O Humans are considered to be simply in, and a part of the natural world by Naturalists. Naturalism seems that science is the best means for discovering what truly does or does not exist. The naturalist view of individuals is very different from the traditional or religious views. O Naturalism does not mechanize humans, though some people’s opinions say that it does. Naturalism re- invents the physical world by showing how consciousness and choice don’t involve supernatural processes.

Naturalist View on Man & Nature The conflict is naturalism literature is often “man vs. nature” or “man against himself”. Thought of nature as indifferent force acting on the lives of humans. Social Darwinism and other theories help to explain character’s fates to the reader. Rather than focusing on the internal qualities of their characters, authors called out the effects of heredity and environment, outside forces, on humanity. Characters are also governed by the forces of instinct, and passion. Writers thought of humans as “human beasts”.

Zeitgeist  The Naturalism Movement took place during the 1880s to the 1940s. 1880s: Period of the Second Industrial Revolution.  Most Western countries experienced a large economic boom, due to the mass production of railroads and other more convenient methods of travel.  About 300,000 Swedes emigrated to the United States Chinese, Scandinavian and Irish immigrants laid 73,000 miles (117,000 km) of railroad tracks in the USA  Naturalist fiction often concentrated on the ethnically marked inhabitants of the growing American cities, many of them immigrants and most belonging to a class- spectrum ranging from the destitute to the lower middle-class. The naturalists concentrated on the industrialized American city. Abraham Cahan, for example, sought both to represent and to address the Jewish community of New York's East Side, of which he was a member.

Themes (You don’t need to copy this, just read and listen.) Theme: An abstract idea that continues to appear in one or more works of art or literature. A landscape painting might express beauty. A song might be about love. The story “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” might express the authors opinion of honesty.

Themes in Naturalism Individualism Darwinism Distrust in absolute truths Distrust in major institutions (gov’t, religion) Literary structure that is not conventional and not realism Pessimism Loneliness Survival Determinism Struggle Violence Connection Compassion Control Taboo Atheism Determination

Modernism vs. Naturalism ModernismNaturalism Rejects the idea of an all- powerful creator Individualism Rejects tradition Concerned with the inner, subjective, at the expense of the outer, objective. Conveys its opinion forcefully Rejects the idea of an all- powerful creator Individualism Rejects tradition Is impressed by and pays attention to the surface of things Man attempts to exercise free will, but the universe defines free will as an illusion

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

AuthorscharacteristicsStylistic Devices ZeitgeistElements

Who is the author that wrote from his own experiences and hardships, and his stories consisted of men and animals? Authors 100 Answer

Who is the author that was not a successful writer right away and wrote sketches and short stories for newspapers? Authors 200 Answer

Famous Russian author that was considered “Father of the Soviet revolutionary literature”? Authors 300 Answer

Emile Zola was a French author who found his voice as dispassionate scientific observer of? Authors 400 Answer

All the authors were influenced by what? Authors 500 Answer

A character tends to repeat a phrase having a negative outlook? Characteristics 100 Answer

When the author introduces nameless characters? Author 200 Answer

Determinism is? Author 300 Answer

Characters tend to be? Author 400

Common characteristics of literary naturalism is what? Author 500 Answer

What type of environment played a huge role? Devices 100 Answer

What came 2 nd in importance to the inner workings and feelings of the character? Devices 200 Answer

What evokes particular states of mind such as a man’s thoughts on nature? Devices 300 Answer

Authors often try to maintain what throughout their storyline? Devices 400 answer

Stephen Crane is notable for ? Devices 500 Answer

Jack London Answer.

Stephen Crane Answer.

Max Gorky Answer

French society, human nature, and moral decay Answer.

Social Darwinism Answer

Pessimism Answer

Detachment Answer

Direct influence on their lives is replaced by a focus on the nature Answer

Ill-educated or lower-class Answer

Surprising twist at the end of plot Answer

Social environment Answer

Plot Answer

Symbolism Answer

Tone Answer

Imagery, Irony, Symbolism Answer

What three words are said to capture the essence of Naturalism? Elements 100 Answer

Naturalists consider humans to simply be in and a part of what? Elements 200 Answer

Many peoples opinions are that Naturalism ____________ humans. Elements 300 Answer

Naturalism shows that what two things don't involve supernatural process? Elements 400 Answer

Naturalists believe that everything we are and everything we do is connected to what? Elements 500 Answer

Connection, compassion, and control Answer

The world Answer

Mechanizes Answer

Choice and consciousness Answer

The rest of the world Answer

What time period did Naturalism take place? Zeitgeist 100 Answer

What was the 1880s decade known as? Zeitgeist 200 Answer

Naturalist fictions mainly focused on what? Zeitgeist 300 Answer

Which naturalist author’s example did we use? (what was his name..) Zeitgeist 400 Answer

1880s-1940s Answer

The Second Industrial Revolution Answer.

Growing American cities, mainly because of the economic boom & immigrants. Answer.

Abraham Calhon Answer