Nature as the Sole Reality Naturalism asserts that only nature exists, challenging centuries of belief in the supernatural and an afterlife. Scientific breakthroughs by Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and Darwin dismantled traditional views by proving nature’s comprehensive authority. This perspective redefines divinity, stripping away miraculous interventions and transforming the human search for transcendent hope.
American Writers and the Crisis of Belief American literary figures grappled with the naturalistic loss of a higher purpose, leading to profound existential dilemmas in their works. Herman Melville showcased the crisis of belief through characters in search of a practical ethos, while Mark Twain rejected divine favor with nature as his sole guide. Theodore Dreiser embraced naturalism fully, viewing life as a series of chemical compulsions devoid of inherent meaning, a dilemma echoed in later writers like TS Eliot, Hemingway, and Faulkner.