The definition of Naturalism, according to Dictionary.com, is this: “A manner or technique of treating subject matter that presents, through volume of detail, a deterministic view of human life and actions.” This is a basic definition, of course, so here is a more in-depth description.
Naturalism was a movement that was a reaction against both Realism and Romanticism and can be seen as Romanticism’s polar opposite (Diamond). It stemmed from dissatisfaction with the Realist works; writers of Naturalism thought that Realism was too much tailored to the bourgeoisie class and that it did not portray correctly how harsh life was for a majority of people (Diamond).
Instead of the average members of the middle class often featured in the works of the Realist writers and artists, the Naturalists made their protagonists the beaten and downtrodden, men and women of the streets who were often uneducated and who had no chance at anything better due to the natural forces that had placed them in their positions in the first place (Diamond). They also strove to show how unimportant and miniscule humanity was to the universe as a whole through yarns spun in harsh environments in which man was completely at the mercy of nature (Werlock). These often showed the egotism of man, showing him as thinking himself too important for nature to brush aside and too smart and intelligent to be best by the natural forces around him (Werlock). However, in the end, he is always shown to be nothing better than an animal as nature often takes his oh-so important life away from him (Werlock).
Along with this very bleak stance, the writers also followed the scientific method in their observations of life. For example, they observed the motivations of those protagonists who were the scum of society in relation to the need to fulfill the basic needs of survival, such as food, water, and shelter (Diamond). They also took great pains to describe everything in such great detail, leading many people to the analogy that Realist writings were like a painting, choosing some details to exhibit, while Naturalist writings were like a photograph, using all details (Werlock). In this way, you can also say Naturalism was an extreme version of Realism.
Works Cited
Diamond, Marie Josephine, ed. "naturalism." Encyclopedia of World Writers, 19th and 20th Centuries. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.fofweb.com.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "naturalism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.fofweb.com.
“Naturalism.” Dictionary.com. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. www.dictionary.com.
Naturalism was a movement that was a reaction against both Realism and Romanticism and can be seen as Romanticism’s polar opposite (Diamond). It stemmed from dissatisfaction with the Realist works; writers of Naturalism thought that Realism was too much tailored to the bourgeoisie class and that it did not portray correctly how harsh life was for a majority of people (Diamond).
Instead of the average members of the middle class often featured in the works of the Realist writers and artists, the Naturalists made their protagonists the beaten and downtrodden, men and women of the streets who were often uneducated and who had no chance at anything better due to the natural forces that had placed them in their positions in the first place (Diamond). They also strove to show how unimportant and miniscule humanity was to the universe as a whole through yarns spun in harsh environments in which man was completely at the mercy of nature (Werlock). These often showed the egotism of man, showing him as thinking himself too important for nature to brush aside and too smart and intelligent to be best by the natural forces around him (Werlock). However, in the end, he is always shown to be nothing better than an animal as nature often takes his oh-so important life away from him (Werlock).
Along with this very bleak stance, the writers also followed the scientific method in their observations of life. For example, they observed the motivations of those protagonists who were the scum of society in relation to the need to fulfill the basic needs of survival, such as food, water, and shelter (Diamond). They also took great pains to describe everything in such great detail, leading many people to the analogy that Realist writings were like a painting, choosing some details to exhibit, while Naturalist writings were like a photograph, using all details (Werlock). In this way, you can also say Naturalism was an extreme version of Realism.
Works Cited
Diamond, Marie Josephine, ed. "naturalism." Encyclopedia of World Writers, 19th and 20th Centuries. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.fofweb.com.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "naturalism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.fofweb.com.
“Naturalism.” Dictionary.com. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. www.dictionary.com.
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