naturalism-解读

AmericanNaturalism(Aliterarytrendthatprevailedin1890sinAmerican)SocialBackgroundCulturalBackgrounddHistoricalBackgroundSocialBackground•Thepost-bellumdecadeswitenessedtheemergenceof“ModernAmerican”a.Industrialism:Industrialismproducedfinancialgiantsaswellasanindustrialproletariat.Slumsappearedingreatnumbersandthecitypoorlivedalifeofinsecurity,suffering,andviolence.Self-reliancedisappearedinthefastdevelopmentofeconomy.Thespreadofindustrializationcreatedextremesofwealthandpoverty.b.Farmerswerestillgoingwestward.(Thewestwardmovement)Buttheyhadtodependonthetranscontinentalrailwaytotransporttheirproducts,whichchargedheavyfreightratesanddrovethefamerstobankruptcy.c.Livinginacold,godless,indifferentworld,manwasnolongerfreeinanysenseoftheword.CultureBackground1.RealismwasnowtoorestrainedandgenteelintonetotellthetruthoftheharsherrealitiesofAmericanlife.2.FrenchNaturalism,withitsnewtechniqueandnewwayofwriting,appealedtotheimaginationoftheyoungergeneration.3.ThespreadofDarwin’stheoryofevolutionchangedpeople’sideology.CharlesDarwin’stheory:thestruggleforexistence,survivalofthefittest,andnaturalselection.4.HerbertSpencer’ssocialDarwinism---Manismerelyananimaldrivenbygreedandlustinastruggleforexistence,inwhichonly“thefittest”,themostruthlesssurvive.---Humantragedycomesasaresultofthecollisionbetweenman’sbiologicalneedsandsociety’sruthlessmanipulation.---Lifebecameastruggleforsurvival5.EmileZola（Theterm“naturalism”wascreatedbytheFrenchnovelist）’stheory:Thepurposeofanovelistwastobeascientist,toplacehischaractersinasituationandthentowatchtheinfluencesofheredityandenvironmentdestroythem,or,iftheyweregoodenough,towatchthemovercometheforceofheredityandenvironment.Comparison:IsNaturalismRealism?Similarities:Broadly,accordingtonature,Naturalism,likeRealism,isopposedtoIdealism,emphasizingthingsaccessibletothesensesinthisworldincontrasttopermanentorspiritualtruthspresumedtolieoutsideit.Besides,naturalistsalsodesiredtodescribethelivesofordinarypeopleinAmericancities,butoftenindrearyandsordiddetail,thusearningasonedefinitionoftheirworkthephrasesordidrealism.(1)Morespecifically,asaliterarymovementfromthelate19thcenturytotheearly20thcentury,Naturalismwasanextensionofrealism,areactionagainsttherestrictionsinherentintherealisticemphasisontheordinary,asnaturalistsinsistedthatextraordinaryisreal,too.InplaceofthemiddleclassrealistsofaWilliamDeanHowellsoraHenryJames,thenaturalistspresentedthefringesofsociety,thecriminal,thefallen,thedown-and-out.Theyaimedatanevenmorefaithful,unselectiverepresentationofrealitywithoutmoraljudgment.Differences:(2)Thenaturalistsstartedwiththerealists’techniques,buttheyappliedthemdifferently.Ratherthanamirrorreflectingalllife,theychosealensfocusedonwhatinterestedthem.Imitatingtheexperimentalscientistratherthantheobserver,theymanipulatedtheircharactersandplot.(3)Naturalismdifferedfromrealisminitsassumptionofscientificdeterminism,whichlednaturalisticauthorstoemphasizetheaccidental,physiologicalnatureoftheircharactersratherthantheirmoralorrationalqualities.Individualcharacterswereseenashelplessproductsofheredityandenvironmentmotivatedbystronginstinctualdrivesfromwithinandharassedbysocialandeconomicpressuresfromwithout.(4)description:usethemethodofthetruthfulnessofdetailsandextremity.Aimedatdecribingthelowerclassedwhoarethetypicaltargetofdeterminism.(5)Thepurposeoflife:existence.Dominationbybasicdesiresoflife,e.g.terror,starvationandsextualdemands.Asaresult,theauthortakesanamoralattitudetowardhumanlife,neithercondemnationnorpraise.(6)Languange:filthylanguangetorepresentthefilthyandnotunsmilingworld.Naturalismisaharsherandextremeformofrealism.Thenaturalistshaveamajordifferencefromtherealists.conclusionCharacteristicsofNaturalistTheyfeelrealistsasfartoo“genteel”.Naturalistsdonotlookattheaverage,butattheviolent,sensational,sordid,unpleasantanduglyaspectsoflife.Theywouldgototheslumsandwriteaboutthelifeofpovertyandcrime.Theywriteaboutwar,prostitution,criminals,andalloftheseotheraspectsoflifethatarenottoopleasanttoconsider.Naturalistholdapessimisticviewoflifeandthewholesocietycomparedwiththerealists.Whyarenaturalistsinevitablypessimisticintheirview?•1.AmericannaturalistsacceptedthenegativeimplicationsofDarwin’stheoryofnaturalselection,usedittoaccountforthebehaviorofcharactersinliteraryworks.•2.Theybelievedthatman’sinstinct,theenvironmentandothersocialandeconomicforcesplayanoverwhelmingroleandman’sfateisdeterminedbysuchforcesbeyondhiscontrol.FeaturesofAmericanNaturalism•TheAmericannaturalistsacceptedmorenegativeimplicationsofDarwin’stheoryandusedittoaccountforthebehaviorofthosecharactersinliteraryworks.Theychosedtheirsubjectsfromthelowerranksofsocietyandportrayedthepeoplewhowerevictimsofsocietyandnature.AndoneofthemostfamiliarthemesinAmericanNaturalismisthethemeofhuman“bestiality”(兽性),especiallyasanexplanationofsexualdesire.CharactersofAmericanNaturalism•Artistically,naturalisticwritingsareusuallyunpolishedinlanguage,lackinginacademicskillsandunwieldyinstructure.•Philosophically,thenaturalistsbelievethattherealandtrueare