📚 Topic Summary
Naturalism, as seen in Stephen Crane's *Maggie: A Girl of the Streets*, is a literary movement that emphasizes the impact of environment and heredity on characters who are often helpless victims of their circumstances. These characters frequently lack free will and are driven by primal instincts and societal forces beyond their control. The harsh realities of poverty, violence, and degradation are common themes. Understanding Naturalism helps us analyze Maggie's tragic fate and Crane's unflinching portrayal of urban life.
🧠 Part A: Vocabulary
Match the following terms with their definitions:
| Term |
Definition |
| 1. Determinism |
A. The belief that individuals have free will and can control their own destinies. |
| 2. Heredity |
B. The doctrine that all events are ultimately determined by causes external to the will. |
| 3. Free Will |
C. The passing on of traits from parents to their offspring. |
| 4. Environment |
D. The conditions that surround someone; the physical and social context. |
| 5. Social Darwinism |
E. The theory that individuals, groups, and peoples are subject to the same Darwinian laws of natural selection as plants and animals. |
Answer Key: 1-B, 2-C, 3-A, 4-D, 5-E
✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words related to Naturalism.
In *Maggie: A Girl of the Streets*, Crane uses ________ to show how Maggie's fate is largely determined by her surroundings and ________. The Bowery is portrayed as a ________ place, where poverty and violence are rampant. Maggie's lack of ________ and the influence of her ________ family contribute to her downfall.
Word Bank: heredity, environment, depraved, agency, dysfunctional
Answer Key: environment, heredity, depraved, agency, dysfunctional
🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking
How does Crane's portrayal of Maggie's environment reflect the key tenets of Naturalism? Provide specific examples from the text to support your answer.