A Investigation Into Naturalism and Romanticism
Man’s Relationship With Nature
The theme of man versus nature is one of the most widely explored topics in the realm of art and literature. Although long-range communication was unthinkable during the earlier years of art, influential artists and writers worldwide shared a common trait within their works. Many of these writers and artists never heard of or met one another, and each approached their subject with their own unique styles; however, they were ultimately able to explore the same theme of man versus nature by using their personal experiences and imagination. Within many areas of literature, the theme typically features a person or a group of people who attempt to overcome hardships such as natural disasters, supernatural occurrences, and “acts of God.” Similarly, the theme is represented in art, in its depiction of people stuck amidst a disaster or in a difficult situation in nature. As literature and the arts evolve, the theme of man versus nature is depicted in both obvious and subtle ways. In the earlier years, the theme generally focused on the idea of an impending doom or inevitable hardship, but in many modern works, this has widely shifted to feature people willingly choosing their fate to face the merciless beatings of nature. Though varied in appearance, all of these works, whether new or old, prove that the theme of man versus nature can be categorized into two subgenres: the naturalistic perspective and the romantic perspective.
A common trait among works that feature the theme of man versus nature is the naturalist concept that nature is cold and unforgiving, and man either rises above or falls when facing a certain hurdle or challenge. If the challenge proves to be too difficult, the person perishes or returns to the drawing board. In many of the works produced before modern meteorological technology was available, such as in John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, or in Winslow Homer’s The Gulf Stream, the characters depicted are
The theme of man versus nature is one of the most widely explored topics in the realm of art and literature. Although long-range communication was unthinkable during the earlier years of art, influential artists and writers worldwide shared a common trait within their works. Many of these writers and artists never heard of or met one another, and each approached their subject with their own unique styles; however, they were ultimately able to explore the same theme of man versus nature by using their personal experiences and imagination. Within many areas of literature, the theme typically features a person or a group of people who attempt to overcome hardships such as natural disasters, supernatural occurrences, and “acts of God.” Similarly, the theme is represented in art, in its depiction of people stuck amidst a disaster or in a difficult situation in nature. As literature and the arts evolve, the theme of man versus nature is depicted in both obvious and subtle ways. In the earlier years, the theme generally focused on the idea of an impending doom or inevitable hardship, but in many modern works, this has widely shifted to feature people willingly choosing their fate to face the merciless beatings of nature. Though varied in appearance, all of these works, whether new or old, prove that the theme of man versus nature can be categorized into two subgenres: the naturalistic perspective and the romantic perspective.
A common trait among works that feature the theme of man versus nature is the naturalist concept that nature is cold and unforgiving, and man either rises above or falls when facing a certain hurdle or challenge. If the challenge proves to be too difficult, the person perishes or returns to the drawing board. In many of the works produced before modern meteorological technology was available, such as in John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, or in Winslow Homer’s The Gulf Stream, the characters depicted are
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