Naturalism and Transcendentalism
Name:
Class:
Date:
DIRECTIONS: Read the information about Naturalism and the two examples of Naturalist
literature that follow. Then answer the questions.
Naturalism
• Part of the Realism movement -- from the 1880s to 1940s
• “realistic” details
• suggests that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping
human character
• opposed to movements like Romanticism or Surrealism, in which subjects may receive highly
symbolic, idealistic, or even supernatural treatment
• believed that one's heredity and social environment largely determine one's character
• exposed the dark harshness of life, including poverty, racism, violence, prejudice, disease,
corruption, prostitution, and filth
• Naturalistic writers were frequently criticized for focusing too much on human immorality and
misery.
• Practitioners include Jack London, Stephen Crane
Naturalist Poem
A man said to the universe:
"Sir, I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."
-Stephen Crane
Naturalist Quote
“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze
than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in
magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to
exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” -Jack London
ANSWER IN A MINIMUM OF THREE COMPLETE SENTENCES EACH ON YOUR OWN PAPER:
5A. Choose either the poem or the quote above and explain how it fits with the
characteristics of Naturalism.
5B. Using the same literature (the poem or the quote above) you discussed in
question 1, explain how it relates to the novel Into the Wild. Use textual evidence
(quotes with cited page numbers) to support your argument. In your response,
consider both McCandless and Krakauer’s beliefs.
DIRECTIONS: Read the information about Transcendentalism and the two examples of
Transcendentalist literature that follow. Then answer the questions.
Transcendentalism
• philosophical movement -- in the 1830s and 1840s
• in the Eastern region of the United States
•
•
•
•
•
•
a protest to the general state of culture and society, and in particular, the state of
intellectualism at Harvard University and the doctrine of the Unitarian church taught at
Harvard Divinity School
among the transcendentalists' core beliefs was the inherent goodness of both man and nature
believed that society and its institutions—particularly organized religion and political parties—
ultimately corrupted the purity of the individual.
faith that man is at his best when truly "self-reliant" and independent
it is only from such real individuals that true community could be formed
Practitioners include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, Margaret Fuller,
and Amos Bronson Alcott.
Transcendental Quote 1
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your
life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.” -Henry David Thoreau
Transcendental Quote 2
“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There
are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a
course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
ANSWER IN A MINIMUM OF THREE COMPLETE SENTENCES EACH ON YOUR OWN PAPER.
5C. Choose one of the two quotes above. Explain how the quote fits with the
characteristics of Transcendentalism.
5D. Using the same quote you discussed in question 1, explain how the quote relates
to the novel Into the Wild. Use textual evidence (quotes with cited page numbers) to
support your argument. In your response, consider both McCandless and Krakauer’s
beliefs.
 NOW REREAD Alex’s letter to Ron Franz from INTO THE WILD.
5E. Write a paragraph in which you argue that Chris’s writing fits with the ideals of
Transcendental writers.
In your paragraph, be sure to examine the parallels of Transcendentalist writers based on what you
know and what you have read today. Explain how Chris’s ideas fit with the ideas of Transcendental
writers using specific examples (quotes) from the text to show what you mean.