1. Naturalism It does a body good...given the right conditions.

2. Where Naturalism Began…  Naturalism stemmed from Realism, the ideology that emphasizes the depiction of life as it is lived; usually focused on highly symbolic ideals.  Naturalism emphasizes the more brutal aspects of existence  “Real Realism”

3. What exactly is Naturalism?  Naturalism is an ideology that existed from the 1880s-1940s that attempted to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings.  Studies humans as beasts in relation to the environment.  There are Four main principles of Naturalism…

4. Principle #1 1.Man is alone in an uncaring universe a)No one looking out, no divine intervention i.If an asteroid hit and destroyed Earth, no one would care or know b)Apathetic  but NOT hostile

5. Principle #2 2.The universe is governed by the laws of nature 1.Social Darwinism 2.Natural Selection 3.Not fate; no divinity 4.Cycles

6. Principle #3 3.Man is at the whim of forces he can’t control 1.Genetics 2.Government 3.Determinism—not a track but a general path (still have free will) a)Own “highway”

7. Principle #4 4.Man is simply an animal a)Given the right conditions, thriving (opposable thumbs, advanced brains) i.Cockroaches could do just as well in the right conditions (atomic bomb) b)Dominion & superiority are circumstantial i.Man and Dog in the Arctic

8. Naturalist Themes  Survival  Determination  Nature as an indifferent/apathetic force acting in human lives  The “brute within”- strong emotions-- conflict-- man vs. nature or man vs. himself  Violence  Difference, deterministic universe  Forces of heredity and environment as they affect the individual