Topic > Attitudes towards nature in naturalism literature

Needless to say, naturalism long seeks to match how humanity represents humanity's greatest evolutionary achievement, suggesting that man is as natural as the Earth itself, and therefore should be represented in a variety of forms and circumstances to enable a deeper understanding of the effects of the natural environment on humans. In a sense, Naturalism's engagement with nature is to shape and test the limits of human psychology, just as Zola had attempted with Therese and Laurent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The way nature was perceived during the nineteenth century changed dramatically. Initially the Romantics considered it a "return to nature", that is, a return to poetic representations of isolated and desolate landscapes, all devoid of human presence. However, more contemporary connotations now locate the idea of ​​nature in relation to forests, mountains, rivers and seas. It had a definitive impact on literature, as in the works of Wordsworth and Coleridge, where nature “signified the fundamental unitary principle required of reality, the underlying principle of beings and things and of any being or thing.” This attitude links back to Stroud's comment, suggesting that naturalism and nature are an integral part of the foundation of what any author, playwright or artist, seeks to represent in their works by mirroring reality. Nature becomes almost synonymous with naturalism, as it is the main element of its representation of both the impacts of the real world and, above all, the "natural order" of things. One way in which naturalism critically engages with nature is that, for the naturalist, only the natural order exists, that is, what is most accessible to us through specific studies and observations. It's the whole idea of ​​what is real and supported by facts and what can be considered part of the natural order. It is interesting to recognize that naturalist attitudes towards nature all include the concept of the existence of a single natural order that includes everything that is included in reality. Anton Chekhov is believed to have mixed realism, romanticism and naturalism in his plays and, while heavily influenced by Zola's naturalism, was at the same time rooted in his medical history which inspired many of his literary and dramatic works. This is because his scientific skills greatly informed his literary output, which allowed him to seek a middle ground in his search for the truth behind the reality of his own works, something Zola perhaps lacked in the originality of his naturalist methods. Chekhov agreed to some extent with Zola, having: "no disagreement with an artistic method based on the faithful reproduction of materialistic phenomena", suggesting that the nature of the world of work and its social and economic cycles in society are what which actually influences a man's life. thought processes. It has also been suggested by MV Kiseleva that Chekov's works focus too much on the “dung hills of life, without seeking the hidden pearls” in them” in which Chekov reveals in a long response how “literature becomes art only to the extent which portrays life as it is." He explains that: “For a chemist, nothing on earth is impure. A writer must be as objective as a chemist, must put aside his personal subjective point of view, and must understand that manure hills play a respectable role in the landscape, and that evil passions are as inherent in life as good ones. (Chekhov, XI, 113). Thesuggestion here is that, although Chekhov may have disagreed with some of Zola's points, he firmly understood that life, or rather, the process of human nature, cannot be simply idealistic and completely devoid of all things considered." Good". He plays with the knowledge that reality comes with both turmoil and satisfaction, likening it to a chemist finding the right chemical equation that works, so Chekhov also "experiments" with the ways in which art and literature bring to bear different versions of reality in unique perspectives. In many of Chekhov's works, therefore, humanity is unable to mirror the tranquility of nature. This is shown in The Cherry Orchard, where the Ranevsky family is forced to leave their home due to their social position, which alienates them into a world that was once recognizable and safe but now despises their economic position. The naturalistic attitude towards nature in the work is centralized through a connection between past and present, resulting in a reality that is almost illusory, and therefore detached from the natural order. The orchard itself is unique both as a symbol of nature, through its representation of intrinsic beauty, and as a representation of a once satisfying and pleasant past for characters such as Ranevsky and Gayev. We understand that these two sustain an idyllic, picturesque version of their lives, but are instead forced to confront the horrific changes facing society, clouding their imagined visions of a more hopeful present. Chekhov's attitude towards naturalism, and his attempt to blend it with realism, is to show what reality is really like, obscured by the way he adapts particular situations found in the work. When both Ranevsky and Gaev are taking a walk in the countryside, they come across telegraph poles scattered throughout the scenery, and then encounter a drunk who abruptly interrupts them. This demonstrates how Chekhov's vision of nature, i.e. an inseparability between man and nature with one no more important than the other, exercises his need to make its overall importance recognisable: “in which man contemplates or participates in a natural scene while at the same time the independence and autonomy of the particular piece of nature are emphasized.” It is suggested here that Chekov's use of naturalism does not consist of efforts to try to find a plausible solution to the problems at stake in the play, but to rather broadly illustrate the drastic and consistent reformation of nature as a whole. There is an invasion of external factors that act as physical agents of change in the natural environment, which Chekov specifically intends to do, and he employs this authorial method in his work to shape the work to incorporate a growing sense of helplessness and frustration. discomfort in its readers; the eventual realization that nature must progress alongside destructive human drives. August Strindberg's play Miss Julie, follows two specific days in the life of the eponymous character and how she met a waiter named Jean, in which an affair follows suit. Strindberg was driven by the need to impress naturalist leaders Emile Zola and André Antoine, in order to tailor a play that met their needs for staging and acting direction, so that it could be seen as the pinnacle of naturalist theater . In the play, Miss Julie is described as a "man-hating half-woman" for whom her gender is given special consideration in relation to her environment. He goes against normal social conventions and tries to distinguish himself from the men he meets almost as a threat,or probably, to stand out as the much-needed figure capable of inducing change in a male-dominated society. Strindberg wrote many of his plays in revolt against contemporary social conventions, likely due to his growing emotional insecurity, but Strindberg's plays were strongly influenced by the nature of marriage and traditional love. His impact on Swedish society was evoked through his fusion of naturalism and the nature of men, particularly Miss Julie, as she sought to represent the harshness of the real world by demonstrating that going against basic values ​​can lead to harsh consequences. He intended to lead the movement in direct reference to the ideas proposed by naturalist leaders. Madsen stated that Zolari believed that: "Decor does for nature drama what description does for the novel" allowing "nature playwrights to avail themselves of the advantages of realistic, true-to-life settings to create the illusion of reality." In staging Miss Julie, Strindberg exclaimed an acute disgust at the need for painted backdrops and sets in the theater, and so strove to create a work that removed a part of itself from the sequence of reality and contained it in a single, authentic set. It was the desire to represent the undistorted image of reality and, therefore, the natural inclusion of all the things that contribute to the definition of a realistic setting. From here, therefore, the idea of ​​nature takes shape in Miss Julie through that of the disturbance of human nature and, moreover, the centralized representation of women's nature. Within Strindberg's vision of the "most naturalistic game", the issue at hand takes shape through gendered power play, as Jean's masculinity surpasses and replaces Miss Julie's value as something less considerable and important to the inside the game itself. This play brings to attention how naturalism in this narrative engages with the nature of women and how there is a debate in light of the meaning of women's role in society, about what is considered natural or unnatural. It is implied that Miss Julie's inevitable death began with her search for power and autonomy in society, as Strindberg also writes starting from the assumption that the "natural" thing for women is only to marry and have children, not to evoke the desire to make some impact on the definition of gender in a male-dominated society. However, it is through Strindberg's fears of women overthrowing men – which first caught his attention after there was a notable and steady increase in the fight for women's equality at the time – that shaped his vision, as well as the central idea proposed by him that Miss Julie's defiance of her own nature is the catalyst for her death; a stand against nature implies the likelihood of death or suffering. Strindberg plays with the social conventions of the time by using the negative and highly regarded hereditary trait of being "crazy", comparing Miss Julie to her mother. This was due to the fact that she had established herself as a promiscuous and carefree woman who would ask random men to dance with her in front of their partners, which contributes to this idea of ​​how she would be distinguished from as an idyllic "natural"' le women should present themselves in society. Where Strindberg states in his preface that Julie is a “man-hating half-woman,” this insinuates not only her unfemininity but also her strong hatred of the presence of men. There is a strong suggestion here that Miss Julie would always be seen as the labeled victim, since Strindberg.