Naturalism: Literature

The term naturalism was coined by Émile Zola, who defined it as a literary movement which emphasizes observation and the scientific method in the fictional portrayal of reality. Other characteristics of literary naturalism include: detachment, in which the author maintains an impersonal tone and disinterested point of view; determinism, the opposite of free will, in which a character's fate has been decided, even predetermined, by impersonal forces of nature beyond human control; and a sense that the universe itself is indifferent to human life.