Frank Norris And American Naturalism eBook

Frank Norris and American Naturalism brings together in one volume Donald Pizers lifelong exploration of Frank Norriss work, ranging from his 1955 discussion of point of view in The Octopus to his 2010 essay on the thematic unity of that novel. The essays as a whole seek to demonstrate both the coherence of Norriss thought and his contribution toward the establishment of a specific form of naturalism in America. The collections principal focus is Norriss most enduring works, the novels McTeague and The Octopus, though his other fiction and literary criticism are also discussed.

Although Norris died at 32, his literary output during his brief career has played an important role in efforts to interpret the nature of American naturalism. He was one of the few naturalists to write literary criticism, a body of writing which casts much light on his self-conception as a naturalist, and his novels McTeague and The Octopus rely on two of the most distinctive forms of naturalistic fictionthe sensationalistic novel of violence and the panoramic novel of social protest. Furthermore, though he was deeply indebted to Zolas fiction, he broke free of Zolaesque themes in ways which are significant for most later American naturalists. Thus, despite the brevity of his career, Norris is a seminal figure in the history of American literary naturalism.