Naturalism in a Lost Lady
Grace Ren
Mr. Kotlarcyck
Mod 6-7/8
9 March 2012
The Animal Within: Naturalism in a Lost Lady
History and literature have developed in a parallel manner, as organisms often co-evolve with each other. With the publication of Darwin’s groundbreaking work, the Origin of Species, a new group of people, the Social Darwinists, applied the theory of natural selection to social hierarchy. A most notable Social Darwinist, Herbert Spencer, coined the term “survival of the fittest”, implying that people in higher social groups were more “fit” to survive than those who were in lower social groups (Bannister, “Social Darwinism”). This idea of social evolution contributed to the dehumanization of people. More social theorists, scientists, and writers started considering humans with the characteristics of animals. This new era of thinking led to a new genre of writing known as Naturalism is defined by four characteristics which are exemplified in Stephen Crane’s Maggie, one of the most prominent Naturalist works. Other authors also used elements of Naturalism in their writing, although in a more subtle manner. Willa Cather A Lost Lady and Stephen Crane’s Maggie utilize the three human desires as motivation behind characters’ actions, an apathetic tone in which the author describes their characters, and an emphasis on the bestial side of humans with direct comparisons of characters to entities in nature.
The main idea behind Naturalism is that humans are simply another species of animal; they are not “above” other animals in any way. Humans, like other beasts, are driven by natural instincts, instead of acquired knowledge. Naturalist writers portray humans as guided by three basic human desires. They claim that humans do not act upon heroic impulses or morals. The first basic human desire is the need to eat. In Crane’s Maggie, Maggie’s brother, Jimmie, and his friends are getting preached to while in a soup line, but they completely ignore the preacher’s ranting and
Mr. Kotlarcyck
Mod 6-7/8
9 March 2012
The Animal Within: Naturalism in a Lost Lady
History and literature have developed in a parallel manner, as organisms often co-evolve with each other. With the publication of Darwin’s groundbreaking work, the Origin of Species, a new group of people, the Social Darwinists, applied the theory of natural selection to social hierarchy. A most notable Social Darwinist, Herbert Spencer, coined the term “survival of the fittest”, implying that people in higher social groups were more “fit” to survive than those who were in lower social groups (Bannister, “Social Darwinism”). This idea of social evolution contributed to the dehumanization of people. More social theorists, scientists, and writers started considering humans with the characteristics of animals. This new era of thinking led to a new genre of writing known as Naturalism is defined by four characteristics which are exemplified in Stephen Crane’s Maggie, one of the most prominent Naturalist works. Other authors also used elements of Naturalism in their writing, although in a more subtle manner. Willa Cather A Lost Lady and Stephen Crane’s Maggie utilize the three human desires as motivation behind characters’ actions, an apathetic tone in which the author describes their characters, and an emphasis on the bestial side of humans with direct comparisons of characters to entities in nature.
The main idea behind Naturalism is that humans are simply another species of animal; they are not “above” other animals in any way. Humans, like other beasts, are driven by natural instincts, instead of acquired knowledge. Naturalist writers portray humans as guided by three basic human desires. They claim that humans do not act upon heroic impulses or morals. The first basic human desire is the need to eat. In Crane’s Maggie, Maggie’s brother, Jimmie, and his friends are getting preached to while in a soup line, but they completely ignore the preacher’s ranting and
Cited: "A Lost Lady Study Guide & Essays." A Lost Lady Study Guide & Literature Essays. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. <http://www.gradesaver.com/a-lost-lady/> Cather, Willa. A Lost Lady. New York: Vintage Books, 1971. PDF File. Crane, Stephen. "Maggie, a Girl of the Streets [Kindle Edition]." Amazon.com: Maggie, a Girl of the Streets EBook: Stephen Crane: Kindle Store. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. <http://www.amazon.com/Maggie-Girl-Streets-ebook/dp/B000JQUKG4/ref%3Dsr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8>. Robert, Bannister C. "Social Darwinism." Home Page AutoCWW2. Microsoft Corporation, 2000. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. <http://autocww.colorado.edu/~toldy2/E64ContentFiles/SociologyAndReform/SocialDarwinism.html>.