1	Literary Naturalism
2	Definition "The term naturalism describes a type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings; It is the representation of the negative forces of real life, and fiction in this literary sub-genre is often populated with characters whose relationship with their surroundings is especially difficult or challenging.
3	Differences in Realism and Naturalism According to naturalists, realism is "the drama of a broken teacup“; Focuses on the trials of the parlor and the travails of life in the upper classes, Naturalists seek to document the harsh realities of American life in the transition from the 19th into the 20th century, Naturalist writing features characters surviving in far grittier surroundings, often in a universe indifferent to human suffering.
4	Influenced by Determinism Man has no direct control over who or what he is or his fate; Man’s fate is determined by outside forces that can be discovered through scientific inquiry.
5	Scientific Inquiry Man can be studied through the scientific application of objectivity and detachment; Since man is a beast, he can be studied in relation to the environment; Humans can be studied impartially, without moralizing about their natures; Naturalists do not offer moral judgment—no praise nor condemnation nor emotional involvement.
6	Related Influences Biological determinism, from Darwin: survival of the fittest, competitive jungle; Historical or socio-economic determinism, from Marx: the world is a battleground of economic and social forces; Psychological determinism, from Freud: man is a victim of his inner and subconscious self.
7	Characteristics of Naturalism Characters Lower class characters whose lives are governed by heredity, instinct and passion; Their attempts at free will are hamstrung by forces beyond their control They respond to environmental forces and internal stresses and drives, none of which can be fully controlled or understood.
8	Characteristics of Naturalism Setting: frequently urban, always unsympathetic; Plot: "plot of decline," or a plot that often depicts a character's progression (or retrogression) toward degeneration or death. Point of View: third person, omniscient point of view, presenting an objective or detached tale of a main character's downward spiral, written from a detached and journalistic perspective. Conflict—man vs. man or man vs. nature
9	Common Themes The "brute within"—which is the notion that everyone has "strong and often warring emotions: passions, such as lust, greed, or the desire for dominance or pleasure," leading to behavior considered taboo by society. Encountering the indifferent universe can cause this brute to rise up, often in violent ways. The indifference of nature as man struggles to survive.
10	Common Themes The influence of "heredity and environment" (or one's background and surroundings) on the development of a person. This emphasizes the difficulty of moving between or mixing social classes (even if successful, the repercussions can be tremendous). The inability to express free will or personal agency Pessimistic view of human capabilities—life is a vicious trap
11	"When it occurs to a..." When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples. --Stephen Crane, "The Open Boat"
12	"A man said to the..." A 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 (1894, 1899)