Naturalism

Naturalism in American Literature aims to study humankind as though we are animals which are subject to the dangers and threats of our own environment. American Naturalist short stories often highlight the struggles that the characters go through without tying the story up with a happy ending. Instead, because human characters are looked at objectively, the American Naturalist stories usually end in a seemingly harsh, yet often realistic, manner.

Naturalism aims to expose the harsh realities of daily life, including culturally-ingrained beliefs and values. American Naturalist literature avoids depicting life with false optimism -- instead aiming to capture a glimpse of American reality, including the suffering and ugliness of daily life that shape the nature of humankind.

Naturalism as an American Literary Movement

Naturalism and Realism are closely related, as the Naturalistic literary movement not only followed Realism, but based many of its premises off of Realism. American Realism focuses on portraying life as realistically as possible. Because of this, Realist stories often deal with mundane topics that are recognizable as a reflection of every day life. These stories also often deal with the struggles of lower and middle-class American society and how how people who live in these cultures survive. Likewise, Naturalism builds on this premise by not only portraying life as realistically as possible, but by also studying how these environments impact and shape human nature.

American Naturalism focuses on studying human characters objectively - that is, instead of studying their natures, they should be looked at as though they are animals and studied in relationship to their environments. In American Literature, Naturalism exposes the ways in which American culture influences the actions and behaviors of the characters within the stories.

"In literature, [Naturalism] extends the tradition of realism, aiming at an even more faithful, unselective representation of reality, a veritable 'slice of life,' presented without moral judgment" (Brittanica).

Timeline of Naturalism in America

  • 1859: Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species
    • Darwin proposes that we might actually be descended from monkeys.
  • 1867: Émile Zola publishes Thérèse Raquin
    • In the preface to this book, French author Zola announces that he's writing a new type of novel. The scientific novel. There is a method to his madness: the scientific method.
  • 1880: Émile Zola publishes Nana
    • Smallpox gets Nana in this grueling novel about poverty and prostitution.
  • 1895: Stephen Crane introduces Naturalism to America when he publishes The Red Badge of Courage
    • Internal and external battles tear apart Private Henry Fleming during the Civil War.
  • 1899: Frank Norris publishes McTeague
    • A novel about the struggle for survival.
  • 1900: Theodore Dreiser publishes Sister Carrie
    • Even after achieving stardom as an actress, Carrie finds that she's miserable.
  • 1905: Edith Wharton publishes The House of Mirth
    • Lily Bart, while rich, still has it rough in this novel.
  • 1911: Edith Wharton publishes Ethan Frome
    • Poverty and the cold New England winters take their toll on Ethan Frome.
  • 1925: Theodore Dreiser publishes An American Tragedy
    • A story about one man's journey straight to the electric chair.
  • 1940: Richard Wright publishes Native Son
    • A study of American racism and how it warps a young black man's life.

Shmoop Editorial Team. “Naturalism Timeline.” Shmoop, Shmoop University, 11 Nov. 2008.


(Source: SMW1313, Youtube).

Common Themes of American Naturalism

While Naturalistic works are often described as pessimistic, they actually use the stark depiction of reality as an attempt to draw attention to and improve the human condition. Naturalistic works often deal with the following themes and characteristics:

  • Prejudice

  • Racism

  • Poverty

  • Prostitution

  • Filth

  • Disease

  • Environmental dangers

  • Nature seen as ambivalent or hostile to human life

  • Determinism

  • Chance, Fate, Destiny

  • Lack of free will

  • Human behavior determined by environment

  • Human behavior determined by instinct

  • Importance of science, biology, sociology, Darwinism

  • Nature as a dominant image contributing heavily to character and themes

“Naturalism - Examples and Definition of Naturalism.” Literary Devices, Literary Devices, 1 Oct. 2017.

Major Contributors to American Naturalism

Steven Crane
Frank Norris
Hamlin Garland