Naturalism For the CSET

The term naturalism describes a type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings.

The chief literary theorist on naturalism was Emile Zola, who said in his essay Le Roman expérimental (1880) that the novelist should be like the scientist, examining dispassionately various phenomena in life and drawing indisputable conclusions. The naturalists tended to concern themselves with the harsh, often sordid, aspects of life.

The scientific approach to writing pioneered by Zola is evidenced in his book Les Rougon Macquart where he interviewed experts, wrote thick dossiers based on his research, made thoughtful portraits of his protagonists, and outlined the action of each chapter.

Characteristics of Naturalism

Characters whose lives are governed by the forces of heredity, instinct, and passion. Their attempts at exercising free will or choice are hamstrung by forces beyond their control; social Darwinism and other theories help to explain their fates to the reader.

The setting is usually in an urban area.

Survival, determinism, violence, and taboo are key themes.

Naturalistic texts often describe the futile attempts of human beings to exercise free will, often ironically presented, in this universe that reveals free will as an illusion.

Emile Zola was a French journalist turned novelist. His novels were attacked and even banned for their frankness and sordid detail, causing quite a bit of controversy in their day. In 1898 he incurred the wrath of officials when he published the open letter “J’Accuse,” in defense of Alfred Dreyfus, an Army officer who had been convicted of treason. Zola was sentenced to prison for libel, fled to England, and was granted amnesty a few months later.

Jack London (1876-1916), is another writer associated with naturalism. His most famous book is The Call of the Wild (1903), the story of a peaceful California dog named Buck who is kidnapped and shipped to the wilds of Alaska. The Sea-Wolf (1904) and White Fang (1906) also were