Naturalism (radicalization of Realism)

Question 1

Naturalism characteristics

Answer 1

-Focused on bleak, squalid realities (poverty, addiction, prostitution, “degeneration”)
“Poetic”, “dramatic” character + mixture of fascination and disgust.
-Broke thematic taboos
-Deterministic
-Reaction against the evasive, nostalgic nature of realism.
-Attempt to portray an environment in rapid change.

• Reflects end-of-the-century pessimism.
  -Feeling of decline
  -Era of social conflict= economic crisis
  -Generalized political corruption exposed bu the “muckrakers”

Question 2

Naturalism general ethos

Answer 2

-Lost of faith in the centrality of individuals
-Dominant forces are no longer human but supra-human
-Charles Darwin+Karl Marx
-Mechanistic view of nature.
-Overwhelming city environment.

Question 3

Naturalism literature

Answer 3

-European origins: Emile Zola’s “Le Roman expérimental” + phsiology and positivism +novel as a experiment
-Studies influence of milieu and heredity on human action.
-Deterministic view of humans

-Settings: urban and contemporary
-Conflicts: idealism vs material circumstances/ individual will vs social and natural sources.
-Interest in decay and generation.
-Literatur should derive from “brute fact”
-Style: direct, simple, descriptive, journalistic.

Question 4

Naturalism authors and works

Answer 4

-Upton Sinclair
“The Jungle”
“Oil!”

-Theodor Dreiser
“Sister Carrie”
“Jeannie Gerhardt”
“An American Tragedy”

-Stephen Crane
“Red Bage of Courage”
“Maggie”

-Frank Norris
“The Octopus”
“The Pit”
“McTeague”

-Jack London
“White Fang”
“Call of the Wild”