50 likes | 318 Views
Naturalism in Of Mice and Men. Definition : The system of thought holding that all phenomena can be explained in terms of natural causes and laws. Naturalism. Presents human behavior as a scientist would—just the facts with no moral judgment at all.
E N D
Naturalism in Of Mice and Men Definition: The system of thought holding that all phenomena can be explained in terms of natural causes and laws.
Naturalism • Presents human behavior as a scientist would—just the facts with no moral judgment at all. • Human beings presented as “animals”—products of their heredity and environment—fate is predetermined by the circumstances of life. • People are beaten down and generally defeated by natural and/or hostile economic forces they cannot possibly overcome.
Common settings, lower class, unremarkable people who somehow become involved in intense dramatic incidents, usually ending in violent death. • While all this seems negative and contrary to a person’s life meaning much of anything, the 20th century naturalist almost always builds in a sense of importance of the individual—a significance to their lives.
Point of View-3rd person limited • Because of this, the characters are revealed indirectly—we do not know what they are thinking or feeling---actions, reactions and words (dialect) only. • The reader must determine motivations. (Like a play).
Tragedy • Great tragedy is meant to hurt. The function of literature is to help us deal with the pain of real life by practising vicariously through the pain of tragic art. ***Aristotle-”Catharsis” by art Horror + Nobility = Tragedy