NATURALISM

 

NATURALISM  (1840's)

 It is grown out of Realism..

Ø Realism is primarily a style of writing; while naturalism is a philosophy in writing

Ø It is an extreme form of Realism.

Ø Where Realism ends, Naturalism begins.

Ø Naturalism is against Romanticism as it is the branch of Realism

Ø It is an ancient term for physical Sciences or study of Nature.

Ø Inspired from Darwin's "Theory of Evolution”

Ø Focuses is on exploring the fundamental causes for their characters' actions, choices, and beliefs.

Ø Explores the fundamental causes for their characters' actions, choices, and beliefs.

 

 

Hippolyte Taine:

Ø laid foundations (theoretical)

 

Jules Antonie Castagnary

Ø He used the term ‘naturalism’ for the first time in 1863 in referring to describe a style of lifelike painting so called Naturalistic school of Painting. Zola adopted it for literature.

 

 

Emile Zola:

Ø He is known as ‘Big Daddy of Naturalism’.

Ø The term ‘Naturalism’ is applied to literature by Emile Zola (Emilie Edward Charles Antonie Zola) - [French]

Ø He gave the term ‘la bete humane’ (the human beast). Human beings behave like beasts and give in to their natural urges due to anarchy, greed, betrayal, disruption in social order, etc.

Ø It embraced a method created by Auguste Compte.

Ø He called for a scientific method

Ø “Le Roman Experiment” (The experimental Novel) is the seminal naturalist Manifesto.

Ø It is a novel on scientific experiment on the behaviour. Its emphasis is on observation & the scientific method in the fictional Portrayal of reality. It is Experimental Psychology.

Ø “Someone says naturalism is dead even in the works of Zola”

Ø Naturalistic novels are usually tragic [Not as Elizabethan]

 

 

Hippolyte Taine:

French Historian (Historia Dela lit Anglaise) Published "History of English Literature" (4 volumes).

 This is based on 3 categories.

1.Race 2. Milieu 3. Historical Moment.

Ø Race: refers to the Hereditary temperament& disposition of the people.

Ø Mileu: refers to totality of their surroundings, their climate, Physical environment. Political institution, & Social addition. ∙

Ø Moment: refers to the spirit of the period.

 

Taine Formulae (race, milieu and the moment):

Ø literature could be interpreted scientifically by applying his formulae of the race, milieu and the moment.

Ø Taine considers “literature as a document in the History of National Psychology"

Ø In his book of “History of English Literature" - there is a famous materialistic quote. says “vice and virtue are products like vitriol (=sulphuric acid) & sugar.”

Ø He advocates an ideal scientific exactness in literary criticism.

 

Difference between Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism:

Ø In Romantic Age (18-19^th century)- It gave importance to sensuous imagery and fantasy. It takes a flight away from the reality of life. Ex: Frankenstein-

Ø In Victorian Age (19^th century)- Realism gave importance to the minute realistic details of man's life. Hence,

Ø Naturalism is extreme form of Realism. It presents scientific objectivism, survival of the fittest, and the environment shapes the characters.

Ø The characters are controlled by their environment and they usually fight for their survival in nature.

 

 

 

Differences: Realism and Naturalism:

Naturalism	Realism
Influenced by the theories of Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Sigmund Freud, which emphasized the role of heredity, environment, and psychology in shaping human behavior.	Influenced by the ideas of democracy, individualism, and social reform, which emphasized the possibility of human agency and choice.
Portrays human beings as determined by these forces, often showing them as helpless victims of fate or circumstance.	Portrays human as more complex and diverse, capable of overcoming challenges or changing their situations.
It explored the darker and more pessimistic aspects of life, such as greed, hunger, betrayal, poverty, violence, disease, and death.	It explored the lighter and more optimistic aspects of life, such as humor, satire, irony, and hope
Naturalist writers looked at the world in a very scientific way. They never sympathized with their characters.	Realist writers had sympathy and empathy for their characters.
Naturalist writers showed nature’s indifference to humanity.	Realist writers never paint such a gloomy picture of nature.

 

Similarities: Realism and Naturalism:

Ø Both are against Romanticism.

Ø They both aimed to depict life and society as they are, without idealization or romanticization.

Ø Both Naturalism and Realism focused on the ordinary and the everyday aspects of human life, such as work, family, relationships, and social issues.

Ø They both used detailed and objective descriptions of characters, settings, and events, avoiding exaggeration or embellishment.

Ø They both rejected the supernatural, the fantastic, and the sentimental, favouring a more rational and scientific view of reality.

Themes of Naturalism

Ø Determinism: Human beings have no control over their lives, actions, or destinies. They are shaped by the forces of nature, such as biology, genetics, environment, and society, which are often hostile or indifferent to them. Naturalist works often show how characters struggle against these forces, but ultimately fail or succumb to them

Ø Objectivity: A naturalist work adopts a detached and impartial tone and point of view. They do not judge, moralize, or sentimentalize the characters or events, but rather present them as they are, without embellishment or exaggeration. They also use scientific and factual language and methods to describe and analyse reality

Ø Pessimism: This theme implies that naturalist works have a negative and hopeless outlook on life and human nature. They often depict the harshness, cruelty, and suffering of existence, as well as the flaws, weaknesses, and vices of human beings. They also show how human aspirations and ideals are often unrealistic or unattainable, and how human values and morals are relative or meaningless

Ø Social Environment: Naturalist works pay attention to the context and background of the characters and events, especially the social, economic, and political factors that influence them. They also show how class conflict, immigration, poverty, urbanization, industrialization, racism, sexism, etc. affect the lives and choices of the characters, often limiting their opportunities.

Ø Survival: Naturalist works portray life as a constant struggle for survival in a hostile or indifferent world. They often show how characters face various challenges or dangers, such as poverty, disease, violence, war, natural disasters, etc. They also show how characters cope with these situations, either by adapting, resisting, or succumbing to them. They also examine the ethical and psychological implications of survival, such as the loss of dignity, identity, or humanity

Ø Heredity and Human Nature: Naturalist writers strongly believe that we receive certain basic qualities of nature from our parents. Our nature is pessimistic, sad or happy just because of our parents. Naturalist writers explored how certain personality traits and characteristics are passed on from one generation to the next.

Ø Darwinian School: Naturalist writers were much influenced by the theory of evolution in Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species(1859).’ It is about the struggle for survival. i.e., ‘survival of the fittest', the strongest animals outlive them weakest animals.

Zola:

Novelist

Ø Nana (1880)

Ø Germinal (1885)

 

Frank Norris: American

Ø Known as “The Boy Zola”

Ø Like Zola, he viewed his characters as experiments; he exposed them to certain stimuli or phenomena and recorded their reactions in his works.

Ø He says, “naturalism is a mixture of Realism and Romanticism”

Ø His novels are about Darwinian struggles and man's animal nature.

Ø Mc Teague (1899)

Ø The Octopus: A study of California (1901)

Ø Vandover and the Brute (1914) - Posthumous work.

 

Thomas Hardy:

Ø Jude the obscure (1895)

 

Norman Mailer:

Ø The Naked & The Dead-Novel about WW II

 

Black Moore

Ø Lorna Doorne (1869)

 

Jane Austen

Ø Pride & Prejudice (1813)

 

Stephen Crane

Ø Exploded the myth of America garden of Eden. Says "perfect innocence doesn't Exist, no Progress or the idea of perfectibility of Man.”

Ø Maggie: A Girl of the streets.

Ø The Red Badge of courage: Most celebrated and misunderstood novel, set in WW-I. Many characters have no names. It depicts the psychological effects of war on a young soldier named Henry Fleming during the American Civil War. The novel portrays the realities of combat, such as fear, courage, cowardice, and death, as well as the influence of nature and chance on human fate

Ø Open Boat: is a short story

 

Eugene O Neil:

Ø First American dramatist who made the fried of Naturalism.

Ø The Emperor Jones (1920)

Ø Anna christic (1921)

Ø The Hairy Ape.

 

Theodore Dreiser:

Ø An American Tragedy (1925): a novel that chronicles the rise and fall of Clyde Griffiths, a young man who pursues wealth and social status in America. The novel shows how Clyde’s ambition leads him to commit a murder, and how he is eventually caught and executed by the law. The novel also examines the role of heredity, environment, and society in shaping human character

Ø "Sister Carrie (1900) – about an actress.

 

John Steinbeck:

Ø "Of Mice and Men” (1937)

Ø The Grapes and Wrath -about Joad family as they migrate from Oklahoma to California during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The novel shows how the farmers are exploited by the landowners and the banks, and how they struggle to survive in a hostile environment

 

Jack London:

Ø To build a fire- its theme is man in nature.

Ø To call of the wild - Told from a doge point of view.

 

Richard Wright

Ø Native Son (1940)

 

Edith Wharton:

Ø The House of myth (1905)

Ø Ethan Frome (194)

 

Horatio Alger Jr.

Ø Writings are based rages to riches theme

 

Maupassant:

Ø used naturalism in his short stories.

Ø The Necklace

Ø The piece of string

 

Ellen Glasgow

Barren Ground: a novel that portrays the life of Dorinda Oakley, a woman who returns to her family farm in Virginia after being betrayed by her lover. The novel depicts the contrast between rural and urban life, as well as the themes of feminism, modernity, and tradition