Naturalism In Stephen Crane's Of Mice And Man

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Recommended: The similarities and differences between realism and naturalism

Naturalism is the accurate depiction of graphic detail, and it has many characteristics. Naturalism is commonly associated with realism because it shares some of the same characteristics. According to “The 10 Most Important Features of Naturalism” five characteristics of Naturalism are determinism, pessimism, narrative and language used, human condition influenced by inheritance, and rejection of romanticism. Determinism is the internal belief that one man cannot control their own fate, rather that everything is a chain reaction and that one thing is happening as the consequence of another. With Naturalism being so close to realism it must also touch on the characteristic of pessimism, which is essentially showing the darkest part of a character, …show more content…

In Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage he used such colorful language and vivid descriptions to appeal to the reader. For example, “He had, of course, dreamed of battles all his life--of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire.” (Crane). This is what Naturalism is all about, telling the story how it most likely happened and doing it in striking detail. Another author to use this style is John Steinbeck in In Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck uses Naturalism by keeping his characters simple, keeping the situation realistic, and creating a clear, vivid, and realistic picture for the reader. Steinbeck makes it seem as if he took his characters straight out of life because there is nothing unrealistic about them. This is why he keeps his characters simple and relatable. He also keeps the situation real by creating common jobs and common problems which also helps the reader relate. Steinbeck creates his scenes in vivid detail so it is as if the reader is standing in the middle of the scene. For example, “The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late afternoon. Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan Mountains, and the hilltops were rosy in the sun. But by the

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