"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become." - C.S. Lewis, a British novelist and scholar.
The naturalism in literature definition states that, 'Naturalism in literature was a literary movement, that began in the late nineteenth century (1865-1900) in film, art, literature and theater that portrays common values of an ordinary individual.' Naturalism in literature was a literary movement that suggested the involvement of environment, heredity and social conditions in shaping the human character. Naturalism in literature or literary naturalism, originated as a French movement, where the naturalistic writers were influenced by the theory of evolution of Charles Darwin and the ideas of Hippolyte Taine, a philosopher. Naturalistic writers wrote stories that adopted the perspective that a person's character is determined by one's lineage and environment. The term 'naturalism' was coined by Emile Zola, an influential French writer. He was also an important contributor towards the development of theatrical naturalism. Some other famous writers associated with naturalism in literature are Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Jack London and Theodore Dreiser.
Naturalism in Literature Characteristics
There are four main characteristics of naturalism in literature. They are listed as under
* The main characteristic of literary naturalism is pessimism, where a character tends to repeat a phrase having a pessimistic outlook, which sometimes emphasizes the inevitability and quality of death.
* Detachment from the main story is another characteristic of literary naturalism. The author tries to maintain an objective tone and sometimes achieves detachment or change by introducing nameless characters. This focuses mainly on the plot and character rather than focusing on the character only. This method was more common among modernist writers like Ernest Hemingway.
* In determinism, which is the third characteristic of naturalism in literature, the notion that individual characters have a direct influence on their lives is replaced by a focus on fate or nature and is the opposite of the belief of free will. The author makes the reader believe that the fate of the character has already been predetermined by certain factors, specially environmental factors and he can do nothing to change it.
* One common characteristic of literary naturalism is the surprising twist at the end of the plot. There is a strong sense in the naturalist stories and novels that nature is not affected by human struggle.
Realism vs Naturalism in Literature
Though naturalism and realism are inter-related, they are different from each other. Here are a few differences between realism and naturalism:
* The history of naturalism in literature can be traced back to the nineteenth century and naturalism was supposed to be the extreme form of realism. As compared to romanticism and realism, naturalism is a more recent movement in the literary cycle.
* The focus of realism is on literary technique, whereas naturalism connotes a philosophical pessimism, where writers apply scientific method to their writings and depict human beings as an objective and impartial character.
* Realism portrays things the way they might appear to be, while naturalism shows a deterministic view of a person's life and actions. This can be seen in Stephen Crane's The Open Boat and The Blue Hotel
* Realism shows that a person's decision is based upon his response to the situation, whereas naturalism concludes that a person's decision is predetermined by natural forces that make him act in a certain way.
Naturalism in literature is a literary movement that is derived from Realism, which not only depicts real life but also probes deeper to seek the characteristic reminiscent of Romanticism. Naturalism in literature has an identity of its own due to the philosophical inclination in its naturalistic writings.
The naturalism in literature definition states that, 'Naturalism in literature was a literary movement, that began in the late nineteenth century (1865-1900) in film, art, literature and theater that portrays common values of an ordinary individual.' Naturalism in literature was a literary movement that suggested the involvement of environment, heredity and social conditions in shaping the human character. Naturalism in literature or literary naturalism, originated as a French movement, where the naturalistic writers were influenced by the theory of evolution of Charles Darwin and the ideas of Hippolyte Taine, a philosopher. Naturalistic writers wrote stories that adopted the perspective that a person's character is determined by one's lineage and environment. The term 'naturalism' was coined by Emile Zola, an influential French writer. He was also an important contributor towards the development of theatrical naturalism. Some other famous writers associated with naturalism in literature are Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Jack London and Theodore Dreiser.
Naturalism in Literature Characteristics
There are four main characteristics of naturalism in literature. They are listed as under
* The main characteristic of literary naturalism is pessimism, where a character tends to repeat a phrase having a pessimistic outlook, which sometimes emphasizes the inevitability and quality of death.
* Detachment from the main story is another characteristic of literary naturalism. The author tries to maintain an objective tone and sometimes achieves detachment or change by introducing nameless characters. This focuses mainly on the plot and character rather than focusing on the character only. This method was more common among modernist writers like Ernest Hemingway.
* In determinism, which is the third characteristic of naturalism in literature, the notion that individual characters have a direct influence on their lives is replaced by a focus on fate or nature and is the opposite of the belief of free will. The author makes the reader believe that the fate of the character has already been predetermined by certain factors, specially environmental factors and he can do nothing to change it.
* One common characteristic of literary naturalism is the surprising twist at the end of the plot. There is a strong sense in the naturalist stories and novels that nature is not affected by human struggle.
Realism vs Naturalism in Literature
Though naturalism and realism are inter-related, they are different from each other. Here are a few differences between realism and naturalism:
* The history of naturalism in literature can be traced back to the nineteenth century and naturalism was supposed to be the extreme form of realism. As compared to romanticism and realism, naturalism is a more recent movement in the literary cycle.
* The focus of realism is on literary technique, whereas naturalism connotes a philosophical pessimism, where writers apply scientific method to their writings and depict human beings as an objective and impartial character.
* Realism portrays things the way they might appear to be, while naturalism shows a deterministic view of a person's life and actions. This can be seen in Stephen Crane's The Open Boat and The Blue Hotel
* Realism shows that a person's decision is based upon his response to the situation, whereas naturalism concludes that a person's decision is predetermined by natural forces that make him act in a certain way.
Naturalism in literature is a literary movement that is derived from Realism, which not only depicts real life but also probes deeper to seek the characteristic reminiscent of Romanticism. Naturalism in literature has an identity of its own due to the philosophical inclination in its naturalistic writings.
No comments:
Post a Comment