Transcript American Naturalism

American Naturalism
American Naturalism
• I. Introduction
• 1. Origin
• (1) Industrialism: create a large group of
very poor people; live in slums and cannot
control their lives; self-reliance disappeared in
the fast development of economy
• (2) The Origin of Species (Charles Darwin,
1859, godless world, human beast, the
survival of the fittest, cruel natural law
correspond with cruel social realities
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• (3) Herbert Spencer: Social Darwinism
(human controlled by heredity and
outside social power)
• (4) Howell’s “smiling aspect” realism
seems too genteel and even false. Thus
the influence of French naturalism,
Tolstoy and
Turgenev came to American literature.
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• 2. Significance
• (1) Breaking through some forbidden
area in literature (violence, death, sex
etc.)
• (2) Greatly influencing the 20th century
writers such as Hemingway and
Faulkner
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• II. Stephen Crane (1871- 1900)
• 1.
Works
• (1) Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (resistance
of her slum life and at last suicide)
• (2) The Red Badge of Courage (changes of
a young man’s psychological state in the civil
war)
• (3) The Black Riders (poem collection)
• Crane and Emily Dickinson were two
forerunners of Imagism.
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• 2.
Conclusion
• (1) Basic motif: environment and
heredity overwhelm men
• (2) Pioneer of naturalism
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III. Theodore Dreiser (1871 – 1945)
1.
Life
(1) Indiana, German-speaking family
(2) Extremely poor childhood
(3) Worked as a reporter and his first
book Sister Carrie was rejected many
times
• (4) In his later life, he turned to
Communism.
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• 2.
Works
• (1) Sister Carrie (Carrie Meeber,
Drouet, Hurstwood) (no control of her
own life; driving blindly to catch all
opportunities to make life better)
• (2) An American Tragedy
• (3) Cowperwood trilogy
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• 3.
Analysis
• (1) Social Darwinism (man only drive
by desire; only fittest can live in the
society)
• (2) Style: formless, dull, crude
• (3) Powerful depiction of American
social life and moving characters
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• IV. Jack London (1876 – 1916)
• 1.
Life
• (1) name: John Ariffith London; born in
San Francisco
• (2) lived in the lowest part of society in
his youth
• (3) decided to change his life by
ntellectual effort
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• (4) his works were rejected many
times
• (5) at last succeeded and became a
millionaire
• (6) fame and upper class life made him
feel boring; committed suicide
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2.
Works
The Call of the Wild (story of a dog)
White Fang (story of a wolf)
The Sea Wolf
Martin Eden
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• 3.
Analysis
• (1) Social Darwinism, Neitzchean
superman, socialist doctrines of Marx
• (2) Naturalism mingled with
Romanticism
• (3) Limitations: formless, clumsy yet
vigorous style; stiff and stereotyped
characters and dialogues
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• V. O. Henry
• Original name: William Sidney Porter
• He was good at writing clever short
stories and employ New York City as
the background.
• His stories showed his sympathy with
the lower class.
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• He always created the special ends
described as “tears with smile” for his
stories.
• His famous stories include “The Gift of
the Magi” and “The Cop and the
Athem”.
• His short stories are somewhat like
French writer Maupassant’s.