Fine Arts--Theatre

Naturalism--Emile Zola

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Naturalism

       Emil Zola believed in Naturalism in the Theatre (1881).  He followed the practices of Comte and thought a play should be "a slice of life" and "a work ought to be based on truth." He believed that theatre should be a depiction of life and that "the best style in theatre is the one which best reproduces spoken conversation."

               

Zola was a novelist and critic, not a playwright. He did practice naturalism in his works, especially in his depiction of the decay of humanity to its sordid baseness.

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