Realism/Naturalism

Realism/Naturalism

After we discussed the two different styles of literature I wanted to get a firmer grasp on each concept so I could really know what they were.  
Though naturalism and realism are two different styles they have a lot in common and have on some occasions been grouped together.  Essentially naturalism is an extension of realism. "Each, though slightly different in concept or subject, is defining what is going on in front of his or her eyes, without imagining a past or a future." (American Realism)
Both techniques were an abrupt change, a revolt against the emotional Romantic era.  However despite their similarities, the two do have a lot of differences as well: 


                  Where romanticists transcend the immediate to find the ideal, and naturalists plumb the 
                  actual or superficial to find the scientific laws that control its actions, realists center their 
                  attention to a remarkable degree on the immediate, the here and now, the specific action, 
                  and the verifiable consequence (Campbell)


One of the characteristics of realism is it generally focuses on the middle-class lifestyle, it was a "faithful representation of reality." (Campbell)  For example, the dialect used in Mark Twain's "Jumping Frog", does not suggest an upper class society and if the people had been living in poverty it is more likely that the children would be working rather than out playing.  I think, though it is a very light-hearted version of realism, Mark Twain does a good job of representing the technique in this story.  However, in "Editha" by William Howells I think the idea, the fact that they are focusing on such a controversial topic at that period of time is definitely realism, but I felt like the emotions were at times a little too over the top for the genre. 
While realism only describes people as they are, 


               naturalism attempts to determine "scientifically" the underlying forces. 
               Naturalistic writers believed that the laws behind the forces that govern human
               lives might be studied and understood used detailed realism to suggest that 
               social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping
               human character. (Naturalism)


Naturalism explores the deeper part of the human character and finds out why we do what we do and tries to understand that.  Also, where a realist would focus on the middle-class, naturalists generally would focus on the low-income areas.  Occasionally naturalistic writers were criticized for being too negative and pessimistic on their view of life.  
The story of "Chickamauga," written by Ambrose Bierce, I feel is a good example of naturalism.  It shows a family of lower-class and how the environment affects this family.  It definitely explores the darker side of people, shows reality and expresses the thoughts and feelings of people, not just the events that occur.  
As I read about the two definitions and went through the stories I could definitely see a difference between the two techniques.  I also feel that, though each style has it's place, naturalism is definitely more relatable and current, even if it does give a more honest and sometimes bleak outlook on life.  


Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University.  09/08/2011. http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/natural.htm


American Realism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_realism. 8 May 2012.


Naturalism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalism_(literature).  22 April 2012