Naturalism

1. Naturalism By: Esther Lee Samantha Jones Natalie Kilstoff Jace Erlanson Tonisha Burrow

2. 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

3. Authors • Jack London is considered one of the most successful writers of the early 20th 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.

4. … 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.

5. … Continue • Maxim Gorky was a famous Russian author that was considered the father of the soviet revolutionary literature. Gorky was a very influential writer in the times of political upheaval. Gorky’s life was very difficult; filled with poverty, an attempt at suicide, and the death of his parents he had no choice but to travel and change jobs several times. His grandmother inspired him to read, write and learn. Gorky was considered a favored revolutionary voice for the people and was arrested several times for his political activity.

6. … Continue • Emile Zola was a French author whose works were very influential in the naturalism literary school. Initially Zola borrowed from the Romantic Movement, but soon found his voice as a dispassionate scientific observer of French society, human nature, and moral decay. In his early writing for literary columns, Zola was harsh and outspoken about Napoleon. One of Zola’s first pieces, La Confession de Claude, brought lots of negative to him including police. One of his most sensational and politically influential pieces of work is “J’accuse” (I Accuse!). Zola was sentenced for long term jail for libel but he fled to England. He returned to France when the charges against him we dismissed.

7. Stylistic Devices • During the naturalist movement, the environment (especially the social environment) played a huge role, usually becoming its own characterand 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 workingsand feelingsof the characters. The dominanttheme of naturalist works of literature is that people are fated to their life based on their heredity, environment, andsocialconditions. Naturalists were very pessimisticand primitive elements that negated human reasoning was a reoccurring theme. Naturalists tended to take the world as it was, whether that was goodor bad.

8. …Continue • 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. • Symbolismis 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.

9. 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

10. …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

11. Elements • 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: • 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. • 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.

12. 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. • 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. • 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.

13. 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 “humanbeasts”.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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

17. Modernism Naturalism • 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 Modernism vs. Naturalism

18. 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

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

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

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

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

24. All the authors were influenced by what? Authors 500 Answer

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

26. When the author introduces nameless characters? Author 200 Answer

27. Determinism is? Author 300 Answer

28. Characters tend to be? Author 400

29. Common characteristics of literary naturalism is what? Author 500 Answer

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

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

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

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

34. Stephen Crane is notable for ? Devices 500 Answer

35. Jack London Answer.

36. Stephen Crane Answer.

37. Max Gorky Answer

38. French society, human nature, and moral decay Answer.

39. Social Darwinism Answer

40. Pessimism Answer

41. Detachment Answer

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

43. Ill-educated or lower-class Answer

44. Surprising twist at the end of plot Answer

45. Social environment Answer

46. Plot Answer

47. Symbolism Answer

48. Tone Answer

49. Imagery, Irony, Symbolism Answer

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