Representative Authors

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Stephen Crane (1871–1900)

Stephen Crane, renowned for his Civil War tale, The Red Badge of Courage, was born on November 1, 1871, in Newark, New Jersey, six years post-war. He began his career in New York as a journalist, contributing to the New York Herald, New York Tribune, and New York Journal. At the age of twenty-two, he self-published his first novella, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. The success of The Red Badge of Courage in 1895 catapulted him to international fame, allowing him to dedicate his short remaining life to writing fiction. Crane succumbed to tuberculosis on June 5, 1900, in Badenweiler, Germany, and is interred in Hillside, New Jersey.

Crane's most significant contribution to American literature is The Red Badge of Courage. The story follows Henry Fleming, a young soldier in the Civil War, who learns about true bravery and the harsh realities of combat. Through this novel, Crane infuses Naturalism into a pivotal era of American history, creating a work that was immediately celebrated and continues to be respected and taught today.

Theodore Dreiser (1871–1945)

Theodore Dreiser, born on August 27, 1871, in Terre Haute, Indiana, gained respect as both a journalist and a novelist. After leaving Indiana, he worked in Chicago as a journalist. Though his debut novel, Sister Carrie, initially failed, he overcame self-doubt and became a prominent literary figure, even becoming a Nobel Prize finalist in 1930 and receiving an Award of Merit from the Academy of Arts and Letters in 1945. Dreiser passed away from a heart attack in Los Angeles, California, on December 28, 1945.

In works like An American Tragedy and Sister Carrie, Dreiser explores the darker aspects of the American dream. This theme recurs throughout his writing. Both novels feature tragic characters ensnared by their own ambitions. An American Tragedy is often cited as a quintessential example of Naturalism, while Sister Carrie, as Dreiser’s first novel, showcases his natural affinity for the style.

Frank Norris (1870–1902)

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 5, 1870, Benjamin Franklin Norris, Jr. was a cultured and educated individual. He studied painting at the Atelier Julien in Paris in 1887 and later attended the University of California at Berkeley (1890–94) and Harvard University (1894–95). Like many naturalist authors, he worked in journalism as a foreign correspondent. Norris reported from South Africa for the San Francisco Chronicle between 1895 and 1896, and from Cuba for the S. S. McClure Syndicate of New York City as a war correspondent in 1898. He died of appendicitis in San Francisco, California, on October 25, 1902.

Norris is esteemed as a pivotal author in the evolution of American Naturalism. Critics often cite his work as the most faithful representation of the pure Naturalism that Zola described. His most distinguished novels include McTeague: A Story of San Francisco, The Octopus: A Story of California, and The Pit: A Story of Chicago. Despite being one of Norris's early works, McTeague: A Story of San Francisco is regarded by many scholars as his masterpiece, despite its intense and violent themes. The Octopus: A Story of California and The Pit: A Story of Chicago form part of an incomplete trilogy. Besides his novels, Norris also penned numerous short stories that were published for a diverse array of readers.

Émile Zola (1840–1902)

Émile Zola was born on April 2, 1840, in Paris, France. Throughout his career, Zola authored novels, short stories, plays, translations, and critical essays. He was appointed as an Officer of the Legion d’Honneur in 1888–89, though this honor was...

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later revoked due to his conflicts with the French government. A figure of constant controversy, Zola had a substantial following among his peers and remains a significant figure in French literature today. He passed away from accidental asphyxiation on September 29, 1902, in Paris. Initially buried in Paris, his ashes were subsequently relocated to the Pantheon in Rome, Italy, which houses the remains of many of the world’s greatest thinkers.

Recognized as the foremost theorist of Naturalism, Zola penned the essay “Le roman experimental” in 1880, which translates to “the experimental—or experiential—novel.” In this essay, Zola articulates that the naturalist's role is to expose realistic scenarios to experimental conditions within a novel to uncover truth. The author, in this context, becomes akin to a scientist. Zola also asserts that a character's behavior is shaped and influenced by heredity and environment. Although Zola is hailed as the progenitor of Naturalism, his perspectives are often viewed as representing the style's more extreme aspects.

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