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“Under the Lion’s Paw” by Hamlin Garland.
Remember when your
favorite team lost a big game on a horrible call from the referee? That‟s
what the farmer feels like at the end of this story.
“A Deal in Wheat” by Frank Norris.
Don‟t
you hate it when your
farm goes bankrupt because wheat prices drop and you can‟t get a bread
handout a month later because what prices are too high? These are the
unknown forces at play in this rather depressing story.
“The Interlopers” by Saki.
Nature doesn‟t care that Georg Znayem and
Ulrich Von Gradwitz just brokered a peace treaty. Wolves!
Novels for Teaching Naturalism
Don‟t limit yourself to short stories. These
novels include elements of
Naturalism.
Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
. It‟s someone else‟s world and
George and
Lennie are just living in it, barely. Forces they can‟t
understand lead to their demise.
Call of the Wild
by Jack London
. And you though office politics were
tough? Try becoming the lead dog in the Arctic.
Sister Carrie
by Theodor Dreiser
. Naturalism is not known for its
cheery stories. This one included.
The Red Badge of Courage
by Stephen Crane
. Crane
tears apart the
romantic stereotypes of war by following young soldier, Henry Fleming,
as he struggles to do something heroic.
