American-Naturalism

Lesson9AmericanNaturalismCharlesDarwin(1809-1882)•Naturalselection:“thesurvivalofthefittest”and“thehumanbeast”.•Itisnotthestrongestofspeciesthatsurvive,northemostintelligent,buttheonemostadaptabletochange.•Englishphilosopher.•Adaptedthetheoryofevolutionintoasocialsystem.•Theweakandstupidwouldfallvictiminthenaturalcourseofeventsofeconomicforces.Livinginacold,indifferent,andessentiallyGodlessworld,manwasnolongerfreeinanysenseoftheword.Lifebecameastruggleforsurvival.HerbertSpencer(1820～1903)EmileZola(1840-1902)•Frenchwriter,theoriginatorofnaturalism.•Thesurroundingsandhereditycandecideone’sdestiny.Naturalism•NaturalismisatermcreatedbyEmileZola,attemptedtoachieveextremeobjectivityandfrankness;•takingplacefromthe1880sto1940sthatuseddetailedrealismtosuggestthatsocialconditions,heredity,andenvironmenthadinescapableforceinshapinghumancharacter.Naturalism•aliterarymovementinthelate19thandearly20thcenturiesinFrance,AmericaandEngland.Itappliestheprinciplesofscientificdeterminismtofictionanddrama.•Naturalismistheoutgrowthorextensionofliteraryrealism.Naturalism•aliterarymovementthatseekstoreplicateabelievableeverydayreality,asopposedtosuchmovementsasRomanticismorSurrealism,inwhichsubjectsmayreceivehighlysymbolic,idealistic,orevensupernaturaltreatment.Naturalism•Naturalismholdsaviewofhumanbeingsaspassivevictimsofnaturalforcesandsocialenvironment(apessimisticformofrealism,anewandharsherrealism);•ItappearedinAmericaattheendofthe19thcentury.Featuresofnaturalism1.Humansarecontrolledbylawsofheredityandenvironment.2.Theuniverseiscold,godless,indifferentandhostiletohumandesires.Featuresofnaturalism3.Naturalisticwritersarepessimistic.Theychoosetheirsubjectsfromthelowerranksofthesocietyandportraymiseryandpovertyoftheunderdogs'whodemonstrablyvictimsofsocietyandnature.Featuresofnaturalism4.Naturalisticworksexposedthedarkharshnessoflife,includingpoverty,racism,violence,prejudice,disease,corruption,prostitution,andfilth.5.Naturalisticworksoftenincludeuncouthorsordidsubjectmatter.Featuresofnaturalism6.Anothercharacteristicofnaturalismisdeterminism.Determinismisbasicallytheoppositeofthenotionoffreewill.Fordeterminism,theideathatindividualcharactershaveadirectinfluenceonthecourseoftheirlivesissupplantedbyafocusonnatureorfate.Featuresofnaturalism7.Often,anaturalistauthorwillleadthereadertobelieveacharacter'sfatehasbeenpre-determined,usuallybyenvironmentalfactors,andthathe/shecandonothingaboutit.AmericanNaturalisma.Philosophically,thenaturalistsbelievethattherealandtrueisalwayspartiallyhiddenfromtheeyesoftheindividual,orbeyondhiscontrol.Devoidofrationalityandcaughtinaprocessinwhichheisbutapart,mancannotfullyunderstand.AmericanNaturalismb.TheAmericannaturalistsacceptedmorenegativeimplicationsofDarwin’stheoryandusedittoaccountforthebehaviorofthosecharactersinliteraryworks.Theychosetheirsubjectsfromthelowerranksofsocietyandportrayedthepeoplewhowerevictimsofsocietyandnature.c.OneofthemostfamiliarthemesinAmericannaturalismisthethemeofhumanbestiality(兽性),especiallyasanexplanationofthesexualdesire.d.Artisticallynaturalisticwritingsareusuallyunpolishedinlanguage,lackinginacademicskillsandunwieldyinstructure.AmericanNaturalismAmericanNaturalisme.Inaword,naturalismisevolvedfromrealismwhentheauthor'stoneinwritingbecomeslessseriousandlesssympatheticbutmoredetached,ironicandmorepessimistic.Whyarenaturalistspessimistic?1.AmericannaturalistsacceptedthenegativeimplicationsofDarwin’stheoryofnaturalselection,usedittoaccountforthebehaviorofcharactersinliteraryworks.Whyarenaturalistspessimistic?2.Theybelievedthatman’sinstinctandpassion,theenvironmentandothersocialandeconomicforcesplayanoverwhelmingroleandman’sfateisdeterminedbysuchforcesbeyondhiscontrol.SignificanceofAmericanNaturalism•Itpreparesthewayforthewritingof1920sandlostgenerationandT.S.Eliot.RepresentativeWritersStephenCraneFrankNorrisTheodoreDreiserEdwinArlingtonRobinsonJackLondonO’HenryGeneralcomment•Generalpicture:somber,dark•Generaltone:hopelessness,despair•HumanisticvaluesStephenCrane(1871–1900)Americannovelist,shortstorywriter,poetandjournalist.StephenCrane,borninNewJersey,wastheyoungestinadevoutfamilyoffourteenchildren.Hisdesiretowritewasinspiredbyhisfamily.HisfatherdiedwhenCranewas9,andthefamilylatersettledinAsburyPark,NewJersey.AtSyracuseUniversity,CraneplayedbaseballforayearbeforedroppingouttobecomeajournalistinNewYorkCity.Heworkedbrieflyforseveralnewspapersandscrapedbyinnearpoverty.StephenCrane(1871–1900)In1893,atage23,hepublishedMaggie.Findingapublisherwasdifficultgiventhebook'sscandalouscontent,soCraneultimatelypublishedithimself.Thebookwasacriticalsuccessbutfailedtosellwell.StephenCrane(1871–1900)HeturnedhisattentiontomorepopulartopicsandwroteTheRedBadgeofCourage(1895).Thebookwasserializedbyanewspapersyndicate,andCranebecameaninternationalcelebrityatage24.StephenCrane(1871–1900)Afterthenovel'ssuccess,thenewspapersyndicatesentCranetocovertheWestandMexico.In1897,hewenttoCubatowriteabouttheinsurrectionagainstSpain.Onthewaythere,hestayedatadingyhotelwherehemetCoraHowardTaylor,whobecameh