Metaphysical naturalism

God has always established his kingdom among all people and places, calling Prophets and other leaders to look over the Church. Unfortunately the adversary is cun- ning, and tries his best to establish his power right along side God’s. Throughout the history of the Earth, antichrists and other enemies of our Father in Heaven have emerged in an attempt to lead away the saints, and bring their souls unto destruction. The Bible contains many accounts of the efforts these enemies have produced, but the Book of Mormon sheds further light on the subject, and will help the people in these lat- ter days to be prepared to face such opposition. Through studying the accounts of Sherem (Jacob 7:1-23), Nehor (Alma 1:2-16) and Korihor (Alma 30:6-60), we may fur- ther our understanding of the enemies of God, their characteristics, tactics and teach- ings and the ways they were overcome. This knowledge is essential in these days when such false teachers of all kinds will rise up and attempted to lead away the people. We need to know how we can resist their influence as a whole in the Church, but more im- portantly on a more personal level. I feel that the adversary prioritizes the destruction of the testimony and faith of the individual, thus we must fortify ourselves and learn of simi- lar instances from the past, so that we may be prepared for the future. It is not coincidence that many of the antagonists of the Book of Mormon share similar characteristics. The ancient…

Nearly everyone at some point in their life has questioned whether or not there is a God, and there are many arguments as to why or why not God is real, but through observation of the universe one can conclude that due to the patterns that arise and complexity of it all that God does exist. While God’s exact nature cannot be pinned down by these observations, one can get a rough understanding of Him and the level of power He has. In this day and age, having faith is simply not good enough for…

Stephen Crane was one of America's foremost realistic writers, and his works have been credited with marking the beginning of modern American Naturalism. His Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage (1895) is a classic of American literature that realistically depicts the psychological complexities of fear and courage on the battlefield. Influenced by William Dean Howells's theory of realism, Crane utilized his keen observations, as well as personal experiences, to achieve a narrative vividness…

Monty Python’s Life of Brian concludes by challenging viewers to “Always look on the bright side of life.” Naturalist writers do precisely the opposite of this obligation. Naturalism a literary genre of extreme realism that suggests a character’s motivations are caused by his or her family, background, social conditions, and environment. This movement began appearing in literature, art, and theater in the late nineteenth century. Generally writers receive heavy criticism for naturalistic…

Although succinctly summarized by Becker, a more complete working definition for naturalism is additionally outlined by Professor Donna M. Campbell at WSU as, “a type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings.” In essence, naturalist literature examines how characters lives are controlled due to heredity and environment; however, even though naturalist writing was an approach to literature used by European authors, it…

The Social Environment of the Bowery Stephen Crane, writer of the novella: Maggie a Girl of the Streets discusses the impact of social environment through symbolic characters and setting. Crane describes the tragedy of individuals who are destroyed by their environment. The theme of social environment demonstrates the impact society has on people and shows how easily subjected people are to becoming products of their environment. The "environment" that an individual is brought up in…

Movement of Its Own: A Case for Naturalism Naturalism’s place within American literature is a debated topic to this day. Some academics believe that realism and naturalism are so closely related that they must be inclusive of the same movement; indeed, these academics argue that naturalism is part of the realism movement. On the other hand, others argue that naturalism has enough distinction from realism that it is deserving of its own movement, and considering the purpose in categorizing a…

Authors of this time blasted through the previous rules of writing and delved into topics that were not permitted ("Literature in the 1900s, 1900-1909"). Of these features included new themes and changes in plot. "Instinct, passion, and heredity as well as the setting are frequently explored themes in naturalism, as are fate, individualism, and survival of the fittest" (“Naturalism”). One of the major changes of the literary realism was the plot. Many now had a trend of featuring characters that…

Sparking the Flames of Naturalism Naturalism brings attention to nature and its influence over man. Jack London’s short story “To Build a Fire” is an excellent example of a Naturalist work. Often focusing on the narration, Naturalism does not give the protagonist much of an identity. This is present in the fact that the man in the story is nameless and represent any kind of man. Throughout the story, the central character battles nature and tries to overcome the extreme cold by trekking miles…

Realism is a literary portrayal of the lives of people without sentimentalization. Naturalism naturally grew out of realism. Accordingly, “Like the Realist writers... they often focused on the working class and the poor, presenting the futile battles of individuals against a brutal society or an indifferent universe"(Glencoe, 476). Realism is more mundane than naturalism and though people may die it generally is not at the hands of Father Nature. This foundation having been laid let the reader…