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ENG 232 - American Literature II: Naturalism

This course covers selected works in American literature from 1865 to the present. Emphasis is placed on historical background, cultural context, and literary analysis of selected prose, poetry, and drama

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Naturalism

American Naturalism describes a type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings. Unlike, Realism which focuses on literary technique, naturalism implies a philosophical position: for naturalistic writers, since human beings are, in Emile Zola's phrase, "human beasts," characters can be studied through their relationships to their surroundings. The Naturalist believed in studying human beings as though they were "products" that are to be studied impartially, without moralizing about their natures.

Themes:

  • Man against nature
  • Nature is indifferent to man
  • The universe is deterministic

Databases

Literature Databases

Jack London: An American Adventure

screenshot of jack london

Books