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1、American Naturalism美国自然主义文学美国自然主义文学2021/6/161Naturalismthelawofjungle2021/6/162Brief Summary:Naturalismisaliterarymovementthatseeks to replicate a believable everyday reality,asopposedtosuchmovementsasromanticismorSurrealism,inwhichsubjectsmayreceivehighly symbolic, idealisticorevensupernatural trea
2、tment.2021/6/1632021/6/164Brief Summary:Naturalismis a growth of realism,aprominentliterarymovementin Mid-19th-CenturyFranceandelsewhere.Unlikerealism,however,naturalismisgenerallyaphilosophical position(?),asopposedtoaliterarytechnique.2021/6/165philosophicalpositionFornaturalisticwriters,sincehuma
3、nbeingsare,inEmileZolasphrase,“human beasts”,characterscanbestudiedthroughtheir relationships to their surroundings.Philosophicalframework:pessimistic materialistic determinism悲观的唯物主义决定论2021/6/166自然主义自然主义（Le Naturalisme）是文学艺术创作中的一种倾向。）是文学艺术创作中的一种倾向。作为创作方法，自然主义一方面排斥作为创作方法，自然主义一方面排斥浪漫主义浪漫主义的想象、夸张、的想象、
4、夸张、抒情等主观因素，另一方面轻视抒情等主观因素，另一方面轻视现实主义现实主义对现实生活的典型概对现实生活的典型概括，括，而追求绝对的客观性，崇尚单纯地描摹自然，着重对现实而追求绝对的客观性，崇尚单纯地描摹自然，着重对现实生活的表面现象作记录式的写照，并企图以自然规律特别是生生活的表面现象作记录式的写照，并企图以自然规律特别是生物学规律解释人和人类社会。物学规律解释人和人类社会。2021/6/167I. American Naturalism1. The historical and social background2. The intellectual background 3. Phil
5、osophical elements of literary naturalism4. Features of naturalist fictions 5.Objectives2021/6/1681. Historical and Social BackgroundAfter the American Civil War(1861 -1865)2021/6/169WWIIndustrial Revolution2021/6/1610“This is a Godless world in which man is thrown uponhimselftokeep aliveasbesthecan
6、 againsttheoverwhelmingoddsofthe cold, indifferent environment.”-Theodore Dreiser2021/6/1611Mans place in the universeA man said to the universe:“Sir, I exist!”“However,” replied the universe.“The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation.” -Stephen Crane人与天人与天一个人对着天说：“老兄，我存在！”“不过”，天应答说，“这一事实
7、并没使我生出义务之感。”Livinginacold,indifferentandGodless world,manisaninsignificanthumanbeingtobattleagainsta“tremendous”environment. 2021/6/16122. The intellectual background2021/6/1613Charles Darwin (1809 -1882) an English naturalistThe Origin of Species (1859)2021/6/1614Charles Darwin -“the fittest, the s
8、urvival”the theory of evolution Natural Selection The survival or extinction of each organism is determined by that organisms ability to adapt to its environment.2021/6/1615Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) 斯宾塞斯宾塞 Social Darvinism：theincoporationofDarvinismintosociology - Manismerelyananimal drivenbygreed
9、 and lustinastruggleforexistence,inwhichonly“the fittest”,themost ruthless survive.-Lifebecameastruggleforsurvival. 2021/6/1616Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) 斯宾塞斯宾塞 “the survival of the fittest” 物竞天择、适者生存物竞天择、适者生存Humans are highly evolved animals and respond to environmental forces like any other anima
10、l. The aim is survival.2021/6/1617Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) 斯宾塞斯宾塞Influence: - Itproducedan attitude of gloom and despairwhichcharacterizeSocialDarvinismdeterminism(Thechiefimpetusfornaturalism)2021/6/1618Emile Zola(1840-1902) 左拉左拉 The term “naturalism” was created by the French novelist2021/6/161
11、9Emile Zola(1840-1902) 左拉左拉 Controlled by heredity and environment, man was the product of his temperament in a social context.左右人类命运的两个因素：左右人类命运的两个因素：遗传与遗传与环境环境遗传遗传-生物决定论生物决定论环境环境-悲观论悲观论2021/6/1620Emile Zolas theory: Thepurposeofanovelistwastobeascientist,toplacehischaracters in a situationandthent
12、owatch the influencesofheredityandenvironmentdestroythem,or,iftheyweregoodenough,towatch them overcometheforceofheredityandenvironment.2021/6/1621左拉左拉还进一步把人同其他生物等同起来一步把人同其他生物等同起来, ,宣称人是宣称人是“空气和土空气和土壤的壤的产物物, ,象植物一象植物一样”，从而把生物学的决定，从而把生物学的决定论加于人加于人类。自然主自然主义者在人身上只看到者在人身上只看到感感觉和和本能本能。他。他们既然既然认为是生是生物学物学规律
13、决定人的心理、性格、情欲和行律决定人的心理、性格、情欲和行为，便在作品中着，便在作品中着重探索人物生理上的奥秘，重探索人物生理上的奥秘，阐明它明它对人物的影响。左拉指出，人物的影响。左拉指出，自然主自然主义作家作家“继续进行着生理学家和医生的行着生理学家和医生的业务”。2021/6/1622Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)Tess of DUrbervilles (1891) 2021/6/16233. Philosophical elements of literary naturalismThe aim of human (human animal) is survival
14、. The existence of a human person is limited by his or her heredity and environment and the socioeconomic forces he or she has to wrestle with. Only the fittest survives in the life struggle.2021/6/16244. Features of naturalist fictionsThe characters: often the lowest in the social stratum those ren
15、dered helpless by uncontrollable forcesThe mood: invariably dark and pessimistic Ethical problem: Violence and Sex are explicit. 2021/6/16255.Objectives:Theyofferedvividpicturesofthelivesofthedown-troddenandthe abnormal.Theyexhibited frank treatmentofhumanpassionandsexuality;Theyportrayedmenandwomen
16、overwhelmedbytheblind forces of nature.2021/6/1626Themes:1. survival, determinism, violence, & taboo;2. the “brute within” each individual, composed of strong and often warring emotions: lust, greed, or the desire for dominance or pleasure3. Nature as an indifferent force acting on the lives of huma
17、n beings.4. The forces of heredity and environment as they affect individual lives. 2021/6/1627Nature never did betray the heart that loved her.-William Wordsworth Romanticism She did not seem cruel to him then, nor beneficent, nor treacherous, nor wise. But she was indifferent, flatly indifferent.
18、-Stephen Crane Naturalism2021/6/1628Differences from Realism 1) Method of description: the truthfulness of details and extremity. (camera) 2) The object of description: lower classes who are the typical target of determinism; 2021/6/1629 3) The purpose of life: existence.Dominationbybasic desires of
19、 life,eg.terror, starvation and sextual demands.Asaresult,theauthortakesan amoral attitudetowardhumanlife,neithercondemnationnorpraise; 2021/6/1630 4) Language: filthylanguagetorepresentthe filthyandunsmilingworld. 5) The outlook of life: deterministic philosophy and pessimistic outlook of life.2021/6/1631II. Representative American naturalist writers1. Stephen Crane (1871-1900)2. Frank Norris (1870-1902)3. Jack London (1876-1916)4. Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945)2021/6/1632 结束语结束语若有不当之处，请指正，谢谢！若有不当之处，请指正，谢谢！
