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Emile Zola
Founder that called for the naturalist movement. Wrote works such as "Nana" and "The Experimental Novel". Inspired by Charles Darwin and his scientific ideals. Uses the naturalist method to project characters in his novels as "subjects" being studied on their human nature without their morals and reasoning. Later pushes naturalism further into debate. -
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Naturalism
The idea or belief that only natural laws and forces operate in the world. Deals in literature showing the more philosophical way of things being expressed in literature with nature as an unstoppable force. Authors project the main characters in the story often with a poor or uneducated background. -
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Emile Zola
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The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex by Charles Darwin
Book that inspired Emile Zola to create his novel works of human nature. It was a book that focused on evolution of humanity and the role of sexual selection. -
The Experimental Novel: And Other Essays by Emile Zola
An obituary created by Emile Zola as a source for a scientific movement for literature to be included in science. Based on using Claude Bernard's use of experimenting in literature. It also separated the difference of realism and romanticism compared to naturalism. -
Nana by Emile Zola
One of Zola's novel of the Les Rougon-Macquart series which is based on a girl named Nana. She starts off as a poor child who gains fame and charms others as she grows up out of the slums. She becomes a high class prostitute having fun with men and eventually women along with a plentiful amount of money, but she roams endlessly without any satisfaction. She meets her doom in a hotel with smallpox. -
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Stephen Crane
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Stephen Crane
Born in the early age of the naturalist movement He creates novels such as "The Red Badge of Courage" or short stories like "The Open Boat". He was very young American naturalist writer that wrote about stories in a war environment and survival conditions. He also bases his writings by including his own experiences such as his life in the army. -
Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
A story of a teenage boy of his life in the Union Army during the Civil War. He experiences his first battle which he later learns to set aside his fears and lead the soldiers to victory. The war environment effects many characteristics of people as their lives depended on staying alive. -
The Open Boat by Stephen Crane
It is a story about the captain and what is left of his crew as they try to reach land alive. They face through going into the ocean along with other mocking features of nature such as a bird along the way. It portrays a story about human endurance versus nature as all but one have survived. -
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
It gives an example of a character, Edna Pontellier, that lives in the human society where she is not accepted, yet she fights through her emotions regardless of her situation. She is an outcast to society until she redeems herself at the 2nd half of the novel when the people have recognized her deeds. -
Frank Norris
He was an American journalist/novelist that focused in the naturalist genre. One of his more famous works include "McTeague" which portrays a story about poor man that gains wealth in his job. However, he experiences misfortune by losing his job and ends up killing his wife for her lottery money. He focused on the environment that developed the character to act as how they are. -
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Frank Norris
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To Build a Fire by Jack London
The story of the novel shows where a man is in conflict with nature as he tries to get through the harsh, cold weather by building a fire. However, he is unable to succeed nature and results with the guide dog rushing back to safety. The man is left unable to survive the conditions with his knowledge and nature itself. -
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
A novel about a young lady named Lily as a character being compared a nature of beauty among the rich men who want to marry her, but she refuses to since they are not fit enough for her needs even though she needs money. She is constantly fixed around her environment and wants the best of her life. -
Edith Wharton
She was an American novelist, short story writer, and designer. She is a late writer of the naturalist movement that uses her background of the upper class to reveal the dark side of society. She wrote "The House of Mirth" which was one of her most famous novels. She often focuses on how the social environment can affect the character in a negative outcome. -
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Edith Wharton
