Chapter 4 American NaturalismI. BackgroundII. FeaturesIII. SignificanceIV. Theodore Dreiser美国文学简史之美国自然主义 Background◾ Darwin's theory: "natural selection"（自然选择）◾ Spenser's idea: "social Darwinism"（社会达尔文主义）◾ French Naturalism: Zora Features◾ environment and heredity（遗传性）◾ scientific accuracy and a lot of details◾ general tone: hopelessness, despair, gloom, ugly side of the society SignificanceIt prepares the way for the writing of 1920s’ “lost generation” and T. S. Eliot. 本文为节选，来源：沪江英语 点击“阅读原文”