Naturalism (literature)
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| Naturalism is the outgrowth of [[realism (arts)|Realism]], a prominent [[literary movement]] in late [[19th-century]] [[France]] and elsewhere. | Naturalism is the outgrowth of [[realism (arts)|Realism]], a prominent [[literary movement]] in late [[19th-century]] [[France]] and elsewhere. | ||
| + | ==Defining characteristics== | ||
| + | Pessimism is one of the primary characteristics of naturalism. <!-- Really? - seems dubious: Very often, one or more characters will continue to repeat one line or phrase that tends to have a pessimistic connotation, sometimes emphasizing the inevitability of death. --> | ||
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| + | For example [[Bernard Bonnejean]] quotes this passage of [[Joris-Karl Huysmans|Huysmans]] where the symbolism of death is visible, such an [[allegory]], in a portrait of an old woman: | ||
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| + | <blockquote>[...] une vieille bique de cinquante ans, une longue efflanquée qui bêlait à la lune, campée sur ses maigres tibias [...] crevant les draps de ses os en pointe (Huysmans, ''[[Les Soeurs Vatard]]'' | ||
| + | </blockquote> | ||
| + | <blockquote>[...] an old hag of fifty years, lonely and outstretched, bleating at the moon, poised on her skinny shins [...] smashing the skin of her bones to a point (transl. Joiner)</blockquote> | ||
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| + | Another characteristic of literary naturalism is detachment from the story. The author often tries to maintain a tone that will be experienced as "objective". <!-- Seems dubious Also, an author will sometimes achieve detachment by creating nameless characters (though, strictly speaking, this is more common among [[modernists]] such as [[Ernest Hemingway]]). This puts the focus on the plot and what happens to the character, rather than the characters themselves.--> Another characteristic of naturalism is [[determinism]] - the opposite of free will, essentially. For determinism, the idea that individual characters have a direct influence on the course of their lives is supplanted by a focus on nature or fate. Often, a naturalist author will lead the reader to believe a character's fate has been predetermined, usually by environmental factors, and that he/she can do nothing about it. Another common characteristic is a [[Plot twist|surprising twist]] at the end of the story. Equally, there tends to be in naturalist novels and stories a strong sense that nature is indifferent to human struggle. These are, however, only a few of the defining characteristics of naturalism. | ||
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| + | Naturalism is an extension of realism, and may be better understood by study of the basic precepts of that literary movement. The term ''naturalism'' may have been used in this sense for the first time by [[Émile Zola]]. It is believed that he sought a new idea to convince the reading public of something new and more modern in his fiction. He argued that his innovation in fiction-writing was the creation of characters and plots based on the [[scientific method]]. | ||
| === France === | === France === | ||
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Naturalism is a movement in literature that seeks to capture a believable everyday reality "warts and all" and in doing so often portrays the darker side of human nature.
Naturalism originated as a French movement in literature, the naturalistic writers being influenced by Darwinism and the ideas of Hippolyte Taine. They believed that one's heredity and social environment decide one's character. Whereas realism seeks only to describe subjects as they really are, naturalism also attempts to determine "scientifically" the underlying forces (i.e. the environment or heredity) influencing these subjects' actions. They are both opposed to romanticism, in which subjects may receive highly symbolic, idealistic, or even supernatural treatment.
Émile Zola wrote several texts considered today as the manifesto of naturalism. His works had a frankness about sexuality along with a pervasive pessimism which exposed the dark harshness of life, including poverty, racism, prejudice, disease, prostitution, filth, etc. They were often very pessimistic and frequently criticized for being too blunt.
Naturalism is the outgrowth of Realism, a prominent literary movement in late 19th-century France and elsewhere.
Contents |
Defining characteristics
Pessimism is one of the primary characteristics of naturalism.
For example Bernard Bonnejean quotes this passage of Huysmans where the symbolism of death is visible, such an allegory, in a portrait of an old woman:
[...] une vieille bique de cinquante ans, une longue efflanquée qui bêlait à la lune, campée sur ses maigres tibias [...] crevant les draps de ses os en pointe (Huysmans, Les Soeurs Vatard
[...] an old hag of fifty years, lonely and outstretched, bleating at the moon, poised on her skinny shins [...] smashing the skin of her bones to a point (transl. Joiner)
Another characteristic of literary naturalism is detachment from the story. The author often tries to maintain a tone that will be experienced as "objective". Another characteristic of naturalism is determinism - the opposite of free will, essentially. For determinism, the idea that individual characters have a direct influence on the course of their lives is supplanted by a focus on nature or fate. Often, a naturalist author will lead the reader to believe a character's fate has been predetermined, usually by environmental factors, and that he/she can do nothing about it. Another common characteristic is a surprising twist at the end of the story. Equally, there tends to be in naturalist novels and stories a strong sense that nature is indifferent to human struggle. These are, however, only a few of the defining characteristics of naturalism.
Naturalism is an extension of realism, and may be better understood by study of the basic precepts of that literary movement. The term naturalism may have been used in this sense for the first time by Émile Zola. It is believed that he sought a new idea to convince the reading public of something new and more modern in his fiction. He argued that his innovation in fiction-writing was the creation of characters and plots based on the scientific method.
France
The Netherlands
United States
In the United States, the genre is associated principally with writers such as Jack London, Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, and Theodore Dreiser. The term naturalism operates primarily in counter distinction to realism, particularly the mode of realism codified in the 1870s and 1880s, and associated with William Dean Howells and Henry James.
Theatre
In theatre, naturalism developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It refers to theatre that tries to create a perfect illusion of reality through detailed sets, an unpoetic literary style that reflects the way real people speak, and a style of acting that tries to recreate reality (often by seeking complete identification with the role, as advocated by Stanislavski).
See also
- Naturalisme (Louis Legrand)
- Le Roman expérimental
- Realism
- Naturalism (art)
- Naturalism in 19th century French literature
