NaturalismInfluences on John Steinbeck and his writing

NaturalismJohn Steinbeck was not a dedicated student of American naturalism, yet his themes and methods are often closely tied to this literary movement.Became the dominant literary movement in American fiction by the turn of the 20th century.Early naturalistic writers included Stephen Crane (The Red Badge of Courage); Jack London (The Call of the Wild); Theodore Dreiser (An American Tragedy).Many of their stories manifested Darwins theory of survival of the fittest.

NaturalismNaturalism is a form of extreme realism: Human beings are animals in a natural world, responding to environmental forces and internal stresses and drives, over none of which they have control and none of which they fully understand.1In other words humans are animal-like, following their instincts to survive.At the heart of this ideology is pessimistic Determinism: the notion that the causes of human tragedy lie beyond the powers of the individual. We struggle against forces beyond human control.

1. C. Hugh Holman and William Harmon. A Handbook to Literature, 5th ed. (New York: Macmillan, 1986).

NaturalismThe movement was influenced by Marxist theory, which holds that class struggle is the central element of social change in Western society.This was coupled with economic problems stemming from urbanization of America at the end of the 19th century.This combination portrayed socio-economic forces that overwhelm individual lives. Naturalists focused on the lives of characters struggling for survival in an alien and often hostile society.

NaturalismThe naturalists believed that individuals' lives and characters are governed and determined by impersonal natural laws and forces, such as social conditions, the environment, and heredity.In other words, nature is indifferent to our struggle; society is insensitive to our personal needs for fulfillment or self-expression.Life is seen as merely a sequence of cause and effect; a chain of events flowing from one event.

NaturalismNaturalistic stories are often told by an all-knowing narrator who can relate deterministic factors far beyond the knowledge of the characters affected by them.The tendency in naturalistic works is that no one emerges triumphant, because simple survival constitutes a moral victory. Beaten down by an inhuman system and bad luck, many of the naturalist writers characters end as suicide victims.Death is seen as a natural outcome.

NaturalismAssignment: Read Steinbecks short story Johnny Bear. Try to pick out naturalistic factors as you read. Refer back to these PowerPoint notes.Also, try to determine the importance of socio-economic factors in the story.The phrase socio-economic refers to social (as in the culture or society the characters live in) and economic conditions. There will be a short quiz over the story tomorrow worth 13 points.

Johnny BearNaturalistic elementsHumans as animal-like (established through metaphors and similes):He looked like a great, stupid, smiling bear.The light fell on his black matted hair. I saw a big fly land on his head, and then I swear I saw the whole scalp shiver the way the skin of a horse shivers under flies.His head moved, and he peered all about, like an animal about to leave its den.His square feet were like cats feet.Johnny Bear crawled like a badger out of his hole.

Johnny BearNaturalistic elementsWhat is an internal stress or drive that dictates Miss Amys actions?How does this naturalistic element apply to Miss Amys predicament?Individuals' lives and characters are governed and determined by impersonal natural laws and forces, such as social conditions and the environment.Attempts at exercising free will or choice are hamstrung by forces beyond their controlHow does the ending reflect naturalistic writing tendencies?

NaturalismAssignment: Review chapter 1 of Of Mice and MenFind an example of each of the following aspects of Naturalism in Chapter 1. Type each example out in complete sentence(s) and include details from the story to support your answers. Quote specific passages when possible and include the page number.The struggle against forces beyond human control.Individuals' lives and characters governed and determined by impersonal natural laws and forces, such as social conditions and the environment.Nature being indifferent to human struggle or society as insensitive to special needs. Attempts at exercising free will or choice are hamstrung by forces beyond their control.Humans as animal-like; instinctive.Death as natural; survival of the fittest.

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