Naturalism Test Flashcards
Who wrote “The Call of the Wild”?
Jack London
Who wrote “Of Mice and Men”?
John Steinbeck
Who wrote “The Open Boat”?
Stephen Crane
Who wrote “Ethan Frome”?
Edith Wharton
started writing at the age of 4
Stephen Crane
Who was part of the Gold Rush?
Jack London
Who endorsed suits and grape juice?
Jack London
Who was born in New Jersey?
Stephen Crane
Sometimes wrote under the name John Smith
Stephen Crane
wrote 1000 words a day
Jack London
define determinism
The belief that characters do not have free will; external and internal forces control their behavior. characters attempting to exercise free will are derailed by forces beyond their control
describe the characters of naturalism
characters are dominated by external or internal forces. Internal passions overcome rational behavior. they don’t have free will. they are at the mercy of biological and socioeconomic forces. Things happen to them as if they were puppets whose movements are entirely determined by forces beyond their control. They are generally commonplace and unheroic
explain the use of water as a symbol in “Mysteries of Heroism”
water represents life. Collins risks his life to get water and then he gives it to a dying soldier which is pointless. Crane is saying that war is pointless. Blood of soldiers is spilled to try to reach goals through violence. The Lieutenants spill the water carelessly that Collins tried so hard to obtain. This points out how careless leaders are with the lives of those in war.
Explain how “To Build a Fire” is the truest Naturalist story ever written
London shows that nature is not out to get man but is essentially unconcerned with his existence. If the man had not been there it would have been just as cold. The man was just unprepared.
Infer why the man in “To Build a Fire” has no name
London is showing how the man is not important enough to bare a name. his death is insignificant and so he is.
What heavily influenced Naturalist writers?
emergent scientific theories of the time: Darwin’s theory of evolution. Conflict is often “man against nature” or “man against himself”, survival of the fittest is often a theme
What did Naturalism develop from?
it developed out of realism
3 things that characters are dominated by
environmental conditions (storm, lost at sea), social conditions (born into poverty), chance/fate (character’s child suddenly stricken with typhoid fever, and internal passions (lust, greed, desire for dominance or pleasure
2 internal passions that drive characters
lust, greed, desire for dominance or pleasure
Who is credited with establishing Naturalism?
Stephen Crane
3 things that characterized Crane’s style
his style is often characterized by his vivid intensity and distinctive use of dialects and irony, his commons themes involve fear, spiritual crisis, and social isolation.
What is the main theme in “Mysteries of Heroism”?
Heroism (Collins had an idea of what heroism is but he learns quickly that his assumptions have been wrong. He finds himself unafraid but aware that he is not a hero. Collins does perform a heroic deed only to find that it is not a huge gesture that will change the outcome of the war, but a simple gesture to the fallen soldier.)
2 things that are unconcerned about the man in “To Build a Fire”
the dog and the weather
3 things the dog understands the danger of in “To Build a Fire”
the cold, the risk of crossing the spring, he knows not to get too close to the fire
2 numbers that are important in “To Build a Fire”
temperature is 50 or 75 degrees below 0. the number of matches is 70
