美国文学史-第14次课-自然主义和德莱赛.pptVIP

Plan for Today Two Questions: What is Naturalism? How is it Manifested in Sister Carrie? Background for Naturalism Darwin the Theory of Evolution Origin of Species: Life determined by heredity and environment The struggle for existence and natural selection Background for Naturalism 2. Social Darwinism Herbert Spenser: “Survival of the Fittest” Emile Zola: “human beast” Writers as “Scientists” Naturalism in Literature Determinism For determinism, focus on nature or fate is highlighted. Often, a naturalist author will lead the reader to believe a characters fate has been predetermined, usually by environmental factors, and that he/she can do nothing about it. Naturalism in Literature 2. Pessimism: Nature is indifferent to human struggle. Naturalism in Literature 3. Materialism detachment from the story and objectivity. They studied human beings governed by their instincts and passions as well as the ways in which the characters lives were governed by forces of heredity and environment. Definition Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character. Their works exposed the dark harshness of life and are characterized by determinism, pessimism and materialism. Representatives (1) Thomas Hardy in England (2) Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Theodore Dreiser Jack London in America (3) Zola in France Representatives Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets is the first American naturalism work. Norris’s McTeague is the manifesto of American naturalism. Dreiser’s Sister Carrie is the work in which naturalism attained maturity. Story The Beginning The Affair with Drouet The Affair with Hurstwood The Elopement New York Success Character Analysis Carrie Meeber: She moves along like a mechanism?driven by desire and catches blindly at any opportunities for a better ex