WHAT IS LITERARY

NATURALISM?
Literary Naturalism

1. Definition;
2. Representative Writers in America;
3. Frequently Used Themes;
4. Social and Ideological Context;
5. Principles of Literary Naturalism
Definition of Literary Naturalism

◦ Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from 1865 to 1900

that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity,
and environment had inescapable force in shaping human
character.

◦ The term naturalism describes a type of literature that attempts to

apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its
study of human beings.
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Representative Authors in America
Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Theodore Dreiser, and Jack London

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Representative Authors in America
Stephen Crane Frank Norris
Maggie: A Girl of the McTeague,
Streets, Characters face an inevitable
The story casually accepts downward spiral through their
violence and alcoholism as hereditary predispositions to
an ordinary part of life. alcoholism, violence, and greed.
Theodore Dreiser Jack London
Sister Carrie, The Call of the Wild,
The story contain themes of Primitivism and atavism join
Social Darwinism, but in violence as methods by which
them Dreiser also explored the naturalism represents the disruption
role of chance as a factor in an of the social order.
otherwise deterministic plot.
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Key Words From These Naturalism Works

◦ Violence and alcoholism;

◦ Hereditary predispositions;
◦ Social Darwinism and deterministic point of view;
◦ Disruption of the social order.

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Themes of Literary Naturalism

 Survival and Natural Forces:

 Naturalist writers often explore the struggle
for survival in harsh and unforgiving
environments, whether in the wilderness
or in urban settings. These environments
are often depicted as brutal and indifferent
to human suffering, and determine
human fate.

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Themes of Literary Naturalism

Social Inequality and Determinism:

Naturalist writers were interested in the effects of
social class and economic inequality on the lives
of individuals. Characters in naturalist works often
come from impoverished backgrounds and are
subject to the harsh realities of poverty, crime,
and exploitation. Human beings are shaped by their
environment and biology, rather than by their own
free will.
McTeague by Norris
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Context of Literary Naturalism

◦ Naturalism as a philosophical term:

◦ The term “naturalism” ’s current usage derives from
debates in America in the first half of the last
century. The self-proclaimed “naturalists” from that
period included John Dewey, Ernest Nagel, Sidney
Hook and Roy Wood Sellars.

◦ These philosophers aimed to ally philosophy more Ernest Nagel,

American philosopher of science
closely with science.
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Context of Literary Naturalism
1. Reality is exhausted by nature ；
2. Reality contains nothing ‘supernatural’ ；
3. The scientific method should be used to
investigate all areas of reality, including the
‘human spirit’ (Krikorian 1944, Kim 2003).

Ernest Nagel,
American philosopher of science

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Context of Literary Naturalism: Age of Change

Darwinism, Urbanization, Industrial Revolution, Human Right Movements…

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 Psychological Realism vs Naturalism
◦ Similarities: Both explore the internal experiences of characters;
◦ Differences:
◦ Emphasis: The interior lives of characters vs The role of environment and
heredity in shaping human behavior
◦ Depiction: The complexity and nuances of human psychology vs The world in a
realistic and objective manner
◦ Themes: Identity, consciousness, and perception vs Survival, determinism, and
social inequality
◦ Style: Character-driven and introspective style vs Objective and
straightforward style that avoids sentimentality.
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Conclusion
◦ Determinism: Human behavior was largely determined by social, economic, and
environmental factors, and that individuals had little control over their own destiny.
◦ Pessimism: Naturalist writers tended to have a bleak and pessimistic view of the world,
often depicting characters who were trapped in hopeless situations and doomed to suffer.
◦ Objectivity: Naturalist writers sought to depict the world as it really was, without
romanticizing or idealizing it.
◦ Scientific method: Naturalist writers were often influenced by advances in science and
psychology, and they sought to apply scientific principles to the study of human
behavior.

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