naturalism

views updated

naturalism Late 19th-century literary movement that began in France and was led by Émile Zola. An extension of realism, it emphasized the importance of documentation. Writers sought to represent unselective reality with all its emotional and social ramifications. A major exponent of naturalistic drama was August Strindberg. The movement declined by the beginning of the 20th century, but influenced the development of the modern US novel and socialist realism.

More From encyclopedia.com