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Naturalism

Naturalism. Modern literary movement of the 1890s Attempted to revolutionize literature by aligning the arts with the sciences Naturalist writers aimed to be seekers of truth and enemies of falsehood and gloss Intention of representing accurately what is seen as constituting reality.

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Naturalism

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  1. Naturalism

  2. Modern literary movement of the 1890s • Attempted to revolutionize literature by aligning the arts with the sciences • Naturalist writers aimed to be seekers of truth and enemies of falsehood and gloss • Intention of representing accurately what is seen as constituting reality

  3. What does Truth mean for Naturalists? • Eugen Wolff: • Abwendung von allerKonvention • UmkehrzurrücksichtslosestenWahrheitohnejedenKompromiss • Representation of “einStückNatur, wieessich in seinem Temperament zeigt” • Representation of human nature with reference to the “natürlicheMächte in ihm (Anlagen) und außerihm (Verhältnisse)” • Maximilian Harden: • literature: “sollmenschlicheDokumentesammeln” • it depicts “den Menschen alsResultat seiner Lebensbedingungen und Umgebung”

  4. Influences • Auguste Comte: Cours de philosophie positive (1830-1857): • Founder of positivism: the only authentic knowledge is that which allows positive verification through empirical observation and scientific experiments. Positivism assumes that there is valid knowledge (truth) only in scientific knowledge. • Knowledge of facts reveals laws of nature. • Comte was the founder of sociology: applied the same principles to the enquiry of the social sphere

  5. Influences • Charles Darwin: On the Origin of Species (1859) • Theory of evolution: all species descended from common ancestors and evolved through a process of natural selection • Evolution: postulates change in the inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

  6. Ernst Haeckel (naturalist and philosopher): “Über die EntwicklungstheorieCharles Darwins” (1863) • AlleverschiedenenTiere und Pflanzen, die heutenochleben, sowiealleOrganismen, die überhauptjemals auf der Erdegelebthaben, sindnicht, wiewiranzunehmen von früherJugendgewohntsind, jederfürsichselbständigerschaffenworden, sondernhabensichtrotzihreraußerordentlichenMannigfaltigkeit und VerschiedenheitimLaufevielerMillionenJahreauseinigenwenigen, vielleichtsogarauseinereinzigenStammform, einemhöchsteinfachenUrorganismus, allmählichentwicklt. • Task: how does evolutionism impact on the understanding of human nature?

  7. Arno Holz: Die Kunst. IhreWesen und ihreGesetze (1891) • Tasks: • Discuss the title of Holz’s treatise and its implications. • What is the purpose of art and literature, according to Holz? • Why does he use a formula to define art? • Explain the meaning of this formula. • Explain: “Die Kunst hat die Tendenz, wieder die Naturzusein. SiewirdsienachMaßgabeihrerjedweiligenReproduktionsbedingungen und derenHandhabung.”

  8. Literary influences • E. Zola: roman expérimental (1880): naturalist manifesto • “ Le roman expérimentalestuneconséquence de l’évolutionscientifique.” • “Un oeuvre d’art est un coin de la création vu à travers un tempérament.” • Zola’s cycle Rougon-Macquart is subtitled: “histoire naturelle et sociale”.

  9. Literary influences • Henrik Ibsen: A Doll’s House (1879), Ghosts (1881), The Wild Duck (1884), Miss Julie (1888) • Naturalist theatre that attempts to • create a perfect illusion of reality through • detailed, three-dimensional settings • Everyday language rather than verse • A secular world view • Focus on contemporary conflicts • Analysis of social conflicts and themes that are taboo: sexuality, gender equality, patriarchal oppression • Extension of the social range of characters • A style of acting that attempts to recreate an impression of reality

  10. Arno Holz and Johannes Schlaf: Papa Hamlet (1892) p. 19-20: Discuss the opening of the narrative in terms of narrative perspective. Who relates the story? Why does dialogue dominate? What is the effect of the prevalence of dialogue? Characterize the language used in terms of register and style.

  11. Chapter 3: • P. 28: Analyze the narrative perspective in the opening paragraphs. • Compare and contrast Thienwiebel’s view of human nature with the implied narrator’s representation of it. • What is the function of the Shakespearean quotes? • P. 32: Analyze the description of the setting. In what way does this exemplify naturalism?

  12. Sekundenstil: elimination of difference between Erzählzeit and erzählteZeit. The time it takes to narrate the events should equal the time it takes for the events to occur. • Compare Thienwiebel’s first attack of his child on p. 41 with the concluding pages (pp. 59-63). • Can you identify examples of Sekundenstil? • How is the killing of the child linguistically represented? • What is the effect of this style?

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