King's Gothic Naturalism

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Naturalist writers of the early 20th century convey the notion that persons are fated to whatever station in life their biological heredity and social environment prepare them for. Those who profess to be proponents of the naturalist perspective see literature as a means to understand the nature of man. Since “the naturalist found in scientific discovery only a confirmation of humankind’s helplessness in the face of indifferent and inscrutable forces,” their writings usually generate an uninspiring idea of humanity’s frailty (Strengell 11-12). While the deterministic worldview is logical, it is difficult for many to resonate with powerless and doomed characters. Thus, the only way for the naturalistic frame of mind to reach a wider audience is to present it in a different and less monotonous way.

“[O]ne of the signature traits of Naturalism seems to be the ease with which it combines in hybrids with other forms” (Crow 123). Master of Horror Stephen King illustrates this concept in his novel, The Shining (1977), by intertwining the deterministic elements of Naturalism with Gothic and Horror. Combining these genres may seem to be a marriage of complete opposites, but what lies dormant on its own thrives in the pairing. Unlike most naturalist writers, King presents a character’s strength along with his or her faults. Although their deterministic traits imply that failure is imminent, the Gothic elements provide the backdrop for developing sympathy and even understanding for a character’s actions. By using these techniques, King transforms a genre that has been mainly sought after for entertainment into insightful literature.

In The Shining, King explores the triumphs and failures of naturalism, as he illustrates the mor...

... middle of paper ...

... effective method of understanding the deterministic forces that drives action.

Works Cited

Crow, Charles L. "Jack London's The Sea Wolfe as Gothic Romance." Gothick Origins and Innovations. By Allan Lloyd. Smith and Victor Sage. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1994. 123-31. Print.

King, Stephen. The Shining. Ed. William G. Thompson. New York: Pocket, 2001. Print.

Magistrale, Tony. ""The Truth Comes Out": The Scrapbook Chapter." Discovering Stephen King's The Shining: Essays on the Bestselling Novel by America's Premier Horror Writer. 2nd ed. Tuscaloosa: Borgo, 2008. 39-46. Print.

Norris, Frank, and Donald Pizer. McTeague: A Story of San Francisco: Authoritative Text,

Contexts, Criticism. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. Print.

Strengell, Heidi. Dissecting Stephen King: From the Gothic to Literary Naturalism. Madison: University of Wisconsin, 2006. Print.

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