Naturalism

A Tangent of RealismLate 19th - early 20th centuries

What is Realism Again?

• Recall the Realistic movement in literature.• What were some of the defining characteristics of

Realism?• Who were some of the key writers of this

movement?

Review

• As you might recall, Realistic fiction tended to focus on life “as it really is,” without embellishment.

• Some key figures in this movement were Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain.

What about Naturalism?

• Looking at the nature of the word, what do you suppose Naturalism might entail?

• Naturalism is an artistic movement that broke away from the movement of Realism.

• It has many of the same aspects of Realism; however, it has an additional stylistic layer.

How is it different?

• Similar to Realism, Naturalistic literature tends to portray real people in real situations.

• However, Naturalists believe that forces larger than the individual—nature, fate, heredity—shaped individual destiny.

• A common theme is that of human endurance in the face of overwhelming natural forces.

Realism vs. Naturalism

• Presents life “as it really is.”

• Portrays people in common settings (e.g. work, school etc.)

• Gives detailed descriptions of setting.

• Presents people in common settings.

• Tends also to focus on how heredity and environment influence behavior.

• Often centers on themes of survival and determinism.

Naturalism in Art

At this time landscape paintings became very popular. Naturalists portrayed the environment in its common forms, paying particular attention to the nature over man.

The Harvesters, Brueghel,

Naturalism in Literature

– Jack London (1876-1916)• The Call of the Wild

– Stephen Crane (1871-1900)• The Red Badge of Courage

– Kate Chopin (1850-1904)• Bayou Folk

– Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)• “We Wear the Mask”

Review

• What are some key aspects of Naturalism?• How is Naturalism different from Realism?• Who were some of the key figures in the

Naturalistic literary movement?

Answers

• What are some key aspects of Naturalism?– Portrays reality in common settings– Considers the hereditary and environmental factors of

humans

• How is Naturalism different from Realism?– Considers the psychology behind humans

• Who were some of the key figures in the Naturalistic literary movement?– Stephen Crane, Jack London, Emile Zora

Apply

• In this unit we will read the following texts:– Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour”– Jack London “To Build a Fire”– Ambrose Bierce “An Occurrence at Owl Creek

Bridge”– F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby

Regionalism

“Where Everybody Knows Your Name”

What does it mean?

• What do you think the term “Regionalism” means?

• How do you think Regionalism might relate to literature?

Regionalism

Regionalism is a movement in which writers attempted to capture the “local color” of a region by accurately depicting the distinctive qualities of its people and its physical environment.

Why was it popular?

• Regionalism, or local-color fiction, gained popularity because the country was expanding at a rapid rate, and people could experience those new places through literature.

Influence on Literature

Since photography had just been developed, there were few ways for people to learn about life in regions other than their own.

Popular Writers: New England

• Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)– Uncle Tom’s Cabin

• Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909)– A Country Doctor

• Celia Thaxter (1835-1894)– “The Sandpiper”

Popular Writers: South

• Kate Chopin (1850-1904)– The Awakening

• Charles Chesnutt (1858-1932)– The Marrow of Tradition

• Mark Twain (1835-1910)– The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

and Huck Finn

Popular Writers: Midwest

• Edward Eggleston (1837-1902)– The Hoosier series

• John Hay (1838-1905)– Biography of Lincoln

• Willa Cather (1873-1947)– O Pioneers!

Review

• How would you describe Regionalism?

• What are the positives and negatives associated with Regionalism?

• How might a reader be influenced by Regionalism?

• What are some popular movies and/or television sitcoms that depict Regionalism?

Apply

• Find examples of Regionalism/Local color in the following texts:– “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”– “The Outcasts of Poker Flat”– Create a T-Chart analyzing the expression of

local color and a textual example to support that claim.