Naturalism and Frank Norris

2. AMERICAN NATURALISM
IS A MOVEMENT THAT DEVELOPED İN THE LATE
NİNETEENTH CENTURY.
DARWIN AND DETERMINISM WERE TWO OF
THE SHAPING FACTORS OF NATURALISM .
IS ESSENTIALLY A LITERARY EXPRESSION OF
DETERMINISM.
CHARACTERS DO NOT HAVE FREE WILL;
EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL FORCES CONTROL THEIR
BEHAVIOR. THIS BELIEF IS CALLED DETERMINISM.
ALL DETERMINISTS BELIEVE IN THE EXISTENCE OF
THE WILL BUT THE WILL IS ENSLAVED DUE TO A
MULTITUDE OF REASONS.
NATURALISM DEVELOPED FROM REALISM BUT
DIFFERS SIGNIFICANTLY.

3. CHARACTERISTICS OF NATURALIST
WORKS
NATNATURALISM FOCUSES MORE ON CHARACTERS THAN PLOT.
THE CHARACTERS PRESENTED IN NATURALISTIC NOVELS BELONG TO LOWER
CLASSES AND THEY HAVE ALMOST NO EDUCATION.
SETTING; FREQUENTLY AN URBAN SETTING
THEME; THE PHILOSOPHY OF DETERMINISM IS PREDOMINANT IN ALL
NATURALISTIC NOVELS AS A MAIN THEME.
“THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST” WOULD BE ONE OF THE MAIN TOPICS. IT CAN
BE SEEN HOW SOME INDIVIDUALS ADAPT TO THE SOCIETY AND OTHERS DIED IN
THIS EFFORT.
NATURALISM TECHNIQUES; NATURALISM GENERALLY USES
MULTIPERSPECTIVISM, IMPRESSIONISM AND THE USE OF ANIMAL METAPHORS.
•

4. MAJOR WRITERS
• MAJOR WRITERS ARE STEPHEN CRANE, FRANK NORRIS, THEODORE DREISER AND JACK
LONDON.
• ALL AMERICAN NATURALISTS BEGAN THEIR CAREERS AS JOURNALISTS.
• FRANK NORRIS STARTED TO WRITE POPULAR ROMANCES SET IN SAN FRANCISCO. BUT HE ALSO
DEALT WITH SERIOUS INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF THE BOOMING CAPITALIST
SOCIETY.
• STEPHEN CRANE. HE WAS ATTRACTED BY THE ASPECTS OF VIOLENCE IN THE LIFE OF
INDIVIDUALS, AND BY THEIR FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL IN THE IN HUMAN SOCIETY AND NATURE.
• CONTRARY TO STEPHEN CRANE, THEODORE DREISER FOCUSES ON THE FAILURE OF THE
INDIVIDUAL TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE IMPERSONAL POWER OF THE CHAOTIC SOCIAL, AS
WELL AS BIOLOGICAL, MACHINE.
• JACK LONDON. HIS WORKS SHOW AT LEAST TWO WAYS OUT OF THE UNIVERSAL CHAOS OF THE
NATURALISTS. SOMETIMES HE SEARCHES FOR A UTOPIAN GOLDEN AGE MODELED AFTER HIS
DESIRES AND SOMETIMES HE PROJECTS A RETURN TO NATURE.

5. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANK
NORRIS
• FRANK NORRIS WAS BORN ON MARCH 5, 1870 IN CHICAGO.
• HE STUDIED PAINTING AT ACADEMIE JULIAN IN PARIS.HE WAS VERY UNHAPPY
STUDYING ART THOUGH WHILE IN PARIS HE WAS EXPOSED TO THE NATURALIST
WRITING OF EMILA ZOLA WHO INSPIRED HIM TO BE COME A NATURALIST
WRITER HIMSELF.
• HE WROTE EIGHT BOOKS AND NUMEROUS SHORT STORIES, THAT MOSTLY FELL
INTO THE NATURALIST GENRE.
• FRANK NORRIS IS A SOCIAL REALIST AND NATURALIST AUTHOR AND THE FIRST
IMPORTANT NATURALIST WRITER IN THE UNITED STATES.
• HIS WORKS INCLUDE BOTH SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND FEATURES OF NATURALISM.
• HE HAS A IMPORTANT ROLE IN AMERICAN NATURALISM.

6. • HIS EARLY NOVELS ARE CONSIDERED BY MANY
AS THE VERY FIRST EXPERIMENT OF
NATURALISM. ZOLA’S BOOKS INFLUENCED
HIM.
• HE WAS INTERESTED IN THE WAY THAT
ENVIROMENT SHAPES CHARACTER
SPECIFICALLY WITH THE AMERICAN CONTEX
AND HIS WORKS INCLUDE IN JUSTICE,
INEQUALTY AND CRIME.
• FRANK NORRIS TRIED TO CAPTURE ALL THE
DETAILS OF HIS SUBJECTS, NOT BEINGS AFRAID
TO DISCUSS THE UNPLEASANT SIDE OF HIS
STORIES.
• HE STROVE TO SHOW HOW HUMANS WEREN’T
ENTIRELY IN CONTROL OF THEIR OWN LIVES,
AND IT WAS ALSO THE INTERACTIONS OF
OTHERS THAT AFFECTED CHARACTERS.

8. FRANK NORRIS’ MCTEAGUE
• MCTEAGUE, NOVEL BY FRANK NORRIS,
PUBLISHED IN 1899.THE WORK WAS
CONSIDERED TO BE THE FIRST GREAT
PORTRAIT IN AMERICAN LITERATUREOF
AN ACQUISITIVE SOCIETY.
• IN MCTEAGUE, NORRIS SOUGHT TO
DESCRIBE THE INFLUENCE OF HEREDITY
AND ENVIRONMENT ON HUMAN LIFE.
THE STRONG YRT SLOW-WITTED DENTIST
MCTEAGUE MARRIES TRINA, WHOSE
ACQUISITIVENESS IS REVEALED WHEN
SHE WINS A LOTTERY.

9. •MCTEAGUE, INITIALLY FREE OF THE
DESTRUCTIVE AVARICE THAT DEFINES TRINA
AND HIS FRIEND AND RIVAL SCHOULER, IS A
BOVINE ‘NATURAL MAN,’ BRUTALIZED BY THE
MORE RAPACIOUS URBAN CHARACTERS. THE
MARRIAGE DISINTEGRATES AS TRINA
BECOMES MORE AND MORE MISERLY, AND
MCTEAGUE BEGINS TO DRINK. MCTEAGUE
KILLS TRINA AND FLEES. HE LATER STRANGLES
HIS RIVAL IN DEATH VALLEY, BUT NOT BEFORE
SCHOULER HANDCUFFS THEM TOGETHER,
CONDEMNING MCTEAGUE TO DIE CHAINED
TO THE BODY OF HIS ENEMY.

10. • NORRIS’ MOST POPULAR NOVEL WAS
MCTEAGUE THE STORY OF A SIMPLE MAN
AND COUPLE UNDONE BY GREED.
MCTEAGUE HAS DONE VERY WELL FOR
HIMSELF, PARTICULARLY CONSIDERING HIS
UPBRINGING IN A POOR MINER’S FAMILY.
THIS ALL CHANGES WHEN HE IS
INTRODUCED TO TRINA, THE COUSIN OF
MARCUS, MCTEAGUE’S BEST FRIEND.
INITIALLY, MARCUS IS COURTING TRINA,
BUT HE STEPS ASIDE AFTER MCTEAGUE
BECOMES INFATUATED WITH HER WHILE
WORKING ON HER TEETH. MCTEAGUE
BEGINS TO SUCCESSFULLY WOO TRINA.

11. • SHORTLY AFTER MCTEAGUE AND TRINA HAVE
KISSED AND DECLARED THEIR LOVE FOR EACH
OTHER, TRINA WINS $5000 IN A LOTTERY. IN
THE ENSUING CELEBRATION MCTEAGUE
ANNOUNCES HIS INTENTION TO MARRY TRINA.
MARCUS FEELS JEALOUS, KNOWING HE WOULD
HAVE GAINED FROM TRINA’S WIN HAD HE NOT
STOOD ASIDE.
• TRINA AND MCTEAGUE ARE MARRIED IN MAY,
AND TRINA PROVES TO BE A PARSIMONIOUS
WIFE. SHE INSISTS THEY SHOULD NEVER
TOUCH THE PRINCIPAL OF HER $5000, INSTEAD
RELYING ON DIVIDENDS, PLUS HIS EARNINGS
FROM HIS DENTAL PRACTICE, PLUS WHAT SHE
EARNS CARVING ‘’NOAH’S ARK ‘’ TOYS FOR HER
UNCLE’S SHOP.

12. • SECRETLY, SHE ACCUMULATES SAVINGS IN A LOCKED TRUNK. THOUGH THE
COUPLE IS INITIALLY HAPPY, THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN MARCUS AND MAC
DETERIORATES. MARCUS DEMANDS ‘’HIS SHARE’’ OF TRINA’S MONEY, AND A
FIGHT ENSUES IN WHICH HE THROWS A KNIFE AT MCTEAGUE.
• CATASTROPHE SOON STRIKES THE MCTEAGUES WHEN MARCUS REPORTS
MCTEAGUE TO THE CITY FOR PRACTICING DENTISTRY WITHOUT LICENSE OR
DEGREE. HE SOON LOSES HIS PRACTICE AND THE COUPLE IS FORCED TO MOVE
INTO SUCCESSIVELY POORER QUARTERS AS THE FORMER DENTIST DRIFTS
THROUGH A SERIOUS OF JOBS. TRINA BECOMES MORE AND MORE MISERLY, THE
COUPLE’S LIFE DETERIORATES AND, FINALLY, MCTEAGUE LEAVES. MEANWHILE,
TRINA FALLS COMPLETELY UNDER THE SPELL OF HER MONEY AND WITHDRAWS IT
IN GOLD FROM HER UNCLE’S FIRM SO SHE CAN ADMIRE AND HANDLE THE COINS
IN HER ROOM, AT ONE POINT SPREADING THEM OVER HER BED AND ROLLING
AROUND IN THEM.

13. WHEN MCTEAGUE RETURNS, SHE REFUSES TO GIVE
HIM ANY MONEY. AN ENRAGED MCTEAGUE BEATS
HER TO DEATH, TAKES THE MONEY AND FLEES TO THE
MINING COMMUNITIES HE LEFT YEARS BEFORE.
FEARING HE IS BEING PURSUED, HE MAKES HIS WAY
SOUTH TOWARDS MEXICO. MEANWHILE, MARCUS
HEARS ABOUT THE MURDER AND GOES AFTER
MCTEAGUE FINALLY CATCHING HIM IN DEATH
VALLEY. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT, THE TWO
FIGHT OVER MCTEAGU’S REMAINING WATER AND
TRINA’S $5000. MCTEAGUE KILLS MARCUS, BUT AS
HE DIES, MARCUS HANDCUFFS HIMSELF TO
MCTEAGUE. THE BOOK ENDS WITH MCTEAGUE
HELPLESSLY STRANDED IN DEATH VALLEY,
HANDCUFFED TO MARCU’S CORPSE.

14. THERE ARE THREE MAIN SYMBOLS:
GREEDY
SOCIAL DARWINISM
LINGUISTIC (PURELY)

15. NATURALISM IN MCTEAGUE
• FRANK NORRIS’ MCTEAGUE HAS BEEN CALLED THE FIRST IMPORTANT NOVEL
IN THE UNITED STATES.
• WİLLIAM HOWELLS THOUGHT IT BROUGHT A NEW MODE INTO AMERICAN
LITERATURE WITH THE EFFECT OF A BLIZZARD.
• MCTEAGUE IS A WORK THAT GATHERS ALMOST ALL THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
NATURALISM, SO IT INCLUDES ELEMENTS OF NATURALISM SUCH AS PESSIMISM,
DETERMINISM, THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL, SEXUALITY AND DUALISM.
• NORRIS IS AN OF THE WRITERS WHO BROUGHT NATURALISM TO AMERICA AND
HIS MCTEAGUE IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF NATURALIST WRITING ABOUT
HUMAN GREED, CORRUPTION AND THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL.

16. DETERMINISM
• IT IS IMPORTANT FOR CHARACTERS. MCTEAGUE WORKS AS A DENTIST IN
DENTAL PARLORS.
• A WORLD OF CHANCE THAT VICTIMIZES THEM. THE NOTE STRUCK BY THE
LOTTERY AND THE $5000. BY CHANCE MCTEAGUE BECOME A DENTIST, MET
TRINA PROPOSED. BUT THE CHANCE THAT WAS MAKING A MAN OF HIM AND A
WOMAN OF TRINA WAS PREPARING THEIR DOWNFALL THROUGH MARCUS
SCHOULER. THE WRESTLING- MATCH WAS THE TURNING-POINT. THE TWO
DISINTEGRATE TOGETHER, EACH AGGRAVATING THE WEAKNESS OF THE OTHER.
AS TRINA'S NEATNESS WAS PULLING MAC UP AND MAKING HIM SELF-
RESPECTING, SO HER THRIFT GREW INTO MISERLINESS UNDER PRESSURE OF HIS
FAILURE TO PROVIDE, AND THIS EMBITTERED THE ESSENTIALLY FAIR AND
GENEROUS NATURE OF MAC.

17. MATERIALISM
• MATERIALISM IS THE FORCE THAT GUIDES SOME OF THE CHARACTERS. THEY ARE
NOT ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT MONEY. THEY TURN
MISERLY AND SELFISH PEOPLE AND GUIDE THEMSELVES INTO DECADENCE. AS
NATURALISM IS AN EVOLUTION OF REALISM, IT SHARES THE FUNCTION OF
EXPOSING THE REAL WORLD AND CRITICIZING THE CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY. IN
THE CASE OF THIS WORK, IT PORTRAYS THE SOCIETY OF THAT TIME CORRUPTED
AND DETERMINED BY MONEY.

18. DARWINISM
DARWINISM IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT FORCE THAT PLAYS A
ROLE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHARACTERS. THROUGH THE NOVEL,
THE READER CAN APPRECIATE THE TRANSFORMATION OF
MCTEAGUE, FROM A GENTLEMAN OF SAN FRANCISCO, TO A
BEAST. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK, MCTEAGUE IS
GOVERNED BY THE ANIMAL FORCES WHICH ARE INSIDE OF
HIM. HE CONTROLS THESE FORCES AT THE BEGINNING WHEN
HE HAS NOT STARTED HIS DECADENCE.

19. SEXUALITY
•SEXUALITY IS CONSIDERED ANOTHER BIG THEME IN LITERARY
NATURALISM. SEXUALITY IN MCTEAGUE IS PRESENTED AS A
DICHOTOMY, PASSIVE/ACTIVE. THE MARRIAGE OF TRINA AND
MCTEAGUE IS MARKED BY THIS DICHOTOMY. MCTEAGUE IS THE
ONE THAT ACQUIRES THE ROLE OF ACTIVE SEXUALITY BY YIELDING
TRINA. HIS ANIMAL INSTINCTS AROSE ALSO IN SEX, CLOSELY
RELATED WITH VIOLENCE AND BRUTALITY. MCTEAGUE STARTED TO
BE SEXUALITY ACTIVE WHEN HE STARTS TO DRINK, AND IT
INVOLVES HURTING TRINA.

20. URBAN LIFE
•THE STORY IS SITUATED IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT, SAN FRANCISCO. THE
CITY IS DESCRIBED AS A SHOCKING PLACE, FULL OF LIGHTS AND PEOPLE WITH
NO CONCRETE DESTINATION. THE CITY CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A CHARACTER
ITSELF THAT DETERMINES THE ACTIONS OF THE REST.
“EVENING BEGAN; AND ONE BY ONE A MULTITUDE OF LIGHTS, FROM THE
DEMONIAC GLARE OF THE DRUGGISTS' WINDOWS TO THE DAZZLING BLUE
WHITENESS OF THE ELECTRIC GLOBES, GREW THICK FROM STREET CORNER TO
STREET CORNER. ONCE MORE THE STREET WAS CROWDED’’.

21. CONCLUSION
THE NAURALISM MOVEMENT TOOK PLACE LATE 19TH- AND EARLY 20TH-CENTURY NATURALISM WAS
AN OUTGROWTH OF REALISM AND USUALLY NATURALISM DRAWS ON NINETEENTH-CENTURY
THEORIES OF HEREDITARY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINISM. ACCORDING TO NATURALISM ,
ALL CHARACTERS ARE VICTIM BECAUSE THEY HAVENOT THEIR FREE WILL AND ONE’S HEREDITY
AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT DETERMINED ONE’S CHARACTER. MANY WRITERS LIKE FRANK
NORRIS WERE SO SUCCFUL TO DESCRIB APROACH OF NATURALISM IN THEIR WORKS. GENERALLY,
NATURALISTIC WRITERS OFTEN DESCRIBES THEIR CHARACTERS AS THOUGH THEY ARE
CONDITIONED AND CONTROLLED BY ENVIRONMENT, HEREDITY, INSTINCT, OR CHANCE. FRANK
NORRIS’ MCTEAGUE IS THE ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES OF THESE WORKS. MCTEAGUE IS A
CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF NATURALIST WRITING. THIS NOVEL IS WRITTEN WITH THE HARSH REALITIES
THAT WERE THIS TIME PERIOD. IT ILLUSTRATES THE EVOLUTION FROM REALISM TO NATURALISM
AND THE SOCIETY OF NINETEENTH CENTURY. THERE ARE MANY THEMES THAT OCCUR IN
NATURALISM SUCH AS DARWINISM,DETERMINISM,PESSIMISM,VIOLENCE,URBAN SETTING…ETC.
THE TOPICS TREATED IN THE NOVEL REFLECT HOW THE SOCIETY WAS EVOLVING INTO A
SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. THE CHARACTERS ARE AN EXAMPLE OF USELESS EXISTENCE AND THE
DOMINANCE OF INSIDE FORCES THAT UNABLE CHARACTERS TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS.
THIS NOVEL IS A GOOD WORK FOR THE STUDY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS AND DEVELOPMENT OF
AMERICAN LITERARY NATURALISM AND, CONSEQUENTLY, OF THE SOCIETY OF NINETEENTH
CENTURY.