The Experimental Novel

    Emile Zola is a French theorist and an advocator of naturalism; a scientific study of human nature, behaviour and psychology. Naturalism is an artistic movement emerged in the reaction of subjectivism of Romanticism.Naturalism uses the scientific criteria of observation and experimentation in writing and criticism. This theory is influenced by Darwinian Theory, which observes man as a victim of nature. Similarly it is also influenced by determinism and an experimental reasoning that replaces purely imaginary novels with the novels of observation and experimentation. Zola applies scientific experimental method in novel writing and in this respect; he raises mainly two issues; Observation and experimentation.

    Artist should not confine himself in observation only the phenomenal world, more observation cannot modify raw materials obtained from the phenomenal world. Though observation is essential, it is not ultimate goal; rather it is just a vehicle. Experimental novelist should posses both qualities- observation and modification. First he makes an observation and then in his experiment he modifies the raw materials; certain conditions and circumstances of nature are changed.

    Astronomy only observes but chemistry does both- observation and experimentation. So,novelists should be like a chemist. Like astronomers, more observers can’t act up on and modify the nature but like chemist experimental novelist acts up on the nature and brings certain change in the experiment. Experimentalist, being a true observer, compares and continuously involves in the experimentation until the experimental hypothesis is verified. The naturalistic fiction tries to uncover the hidden forces that govern our life.

    The experimental novelist, at first observes that leads to hypothesis, which is based on fact and reality, but not in imagination. After this, he verifies the facts in experiment. This verification can be negative or positive, true or false. If the derived conclusion does not match the hypothesis, he makes another hypothesis and undergoes to make the experiment blindly, however, novelist control experiment with certain changes and modification. These modification and changes should be based on natural laws because everything is determined by the principle of determinism (natural laws) which refers to heredity, socio-economic factors and environment.

    In the course of bringing modification the novelist has to find out what the determining factors are. Such novels deal with the highest manifestations of man as an individual and a social member. These novelists accept proven facts but they do not impose their feeling, emotion and sentiments, they are objectivist and transcend the barrier of national world by exploring unconscious level of human mind. Experimental novelist differs from Idealist and fatalist. Idealist does not experiment rather produces art based on supernatural and unknown world.

    Fatalism on the other hand, believes in fate. It is a belief that man does nothing himself, it is fate that brings about change in his life. But determinism believes that certain condition and factors govern the human nature and behavior. Fatalist discards cause and takes anything for granted.Therefore experimental novel regards all human activities as the outcome of heredity and outward circumstance. Like a scientist, an experimental novelist performs certain procedures such as observation, hypothesis and verification with experiment and conclusion. Those novelists who undergo all these procedures and factors are considered to be a true experimental novelist, according to Zola.

Plato    Plato is the first major figure in the history of western philosophy. He is an idealist, moralist and a rationalist. He locates reality in what he calls ideas or forms rather than the world of appearance that we locate with our senses. Read More...

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Plotinus    Plotinus, neo- platonic philosopher believes in two worlds, two part of the same world, one part is helpful to go to another world. Read More...

Lodovico Castelvetro    Castelvetro is a good commentator on Aristotle’s poetics. In his treatment of the unity of time, his ideas are more rigid than Aristotle later followed by many neo- classical critics.Aristotle holds that the science, the art and history are not subject of poetry. Read More...

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Thomas Love Peacock       The essay “The Four Ages of Poetry” exposes the deficiencies of modern poetry by positing the theory that in its development poetry passed through four ages: Age of Iron, Age of Gold, Age of Silver... Read More...

Oscar Wilde    Oscar Wilde believes that art does not copy life and nature rather constitutes its own world reality independent in to a new and perfect form. Read More...