Susannah Davis
NATURALISM
Brians, Paul. Realism and
Naturalism.
Naturalism (Literature).
Microsoft® Encarta® Online
Encyclopedia 2001. Microsoft Corporation.
<http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?z=1&pg=2&ti=761568323>.
Erin’s Elizabeth Barrett
and Robert Browning Page.
In literature, naturalism is known as the theory that literary
composition should be based on. It is an
objective, empirical presentation of human beings as opposed to realism’s exact
representations of the way objects or figures appear in life. Naturalistic writers regard human behavior as
being controlled by instinct, emotion, or social and economic conditions. The behavior rejects free will by adopting,
in large measure, the biological determinism of Charles Darwin and the economic
determinism of Karl Marx.
The emergence of naturalism was not a break in realism, but rather a reasonable extension to the old. Even though the difference between realism and naturalism is hard to define, the two terms are often used interchangeably. The distinction lies in the fact that realism is concerned directly with what is absorbed by the senses, while naturalism, a term more properly applied to literature, attempts to apply scientific theories to art. Naturalism also adds an amoral attitude to the objective presentation of life.
Naturalism was
first notably exhibited in the writings of 19th-century
French authors such as Edmond Louis Antoine de Goncourt,
his brother Jules Alfred Huot de Goncourt,
and Émile Zola. The term is said to have been
invented by Émile Zola. Inspired by his readings
in history and medicine, Zola attempted to apply methods of scientific
observation to the depiction of pathological human character. His
intention was to convince the reading public that it was getting something new
and modern in his fiction. His essay, "The Experimental Novel" (1880; trans.
1893), explains his theory of literary naturalism.
Frank Norris was one of the first American exponents of
naturalism. His novel, McTeague (1899), is a classic study of the interplay
between instinctual drives and environmental conditions. Other notable writers
of naturalistic fiction include Sherwood Anderson, John Dos Passos,
Theodore Dreiser, and James T. Farrell.
Robert Browning is another author for his naturalistic
style. He is perhaps best known for his
dramatic monologue technique. In his monologues, he spoke in the voice of an
imaginary or historical character.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was another author of the period whose work
showed naturalism. She started dabbing
in spiritualism when she began to sense her health failing; this dabbing began
increasing after her father died.
Christina Rossettii is also a rather
naturalistic writer. In her early years
she spent much time with her grandfather in the country, which allowed her to
be exposed to nature and the wilderness. These themes are recurrent in her
poetry of how she saw the world during those times.
Literature of the 19th century provides us with numerous authors who exhibited naturalism in their works. The authors give the readers their own impression of the way things were during those times. Depending on the artistic qualities, naturalism can sometimes give a person a false image as to what life or experiences were really like. Some people prefer the naturalistic views to the reality of realism, but the truth, good or bad, paints an honest picture.