Contextualization

Introduction to Naturalism

Naturalism, a literary movement that emerged in the second half of the 19th century, is characterized by a faithful portrayal of reality. Naturalistic literature is influenced by the scientific ideas of the time, which sought to explain human behavior based on environment and heredity, placing man at the mercy of the forces of nature.

Naturalistic literature arrives in Brazil around 1881, under strong influence of European authors such as Émile Zola and Gustave Flaubert. Its central themes revolve around social and psychological conflicts, a modern approach for the time, starting from a more pessimistic and deterministic view of human actions.

Distinguishing Naturalism from other important literary movements of the 19th century, such as Realism and Romanticism, is crucial for understanding the evolution of Brazilian and Portuguese literature, as well as for motivating students to reframe their own perception of reality through contact with these works.

Contextualization and Relevance

In the current sociopolitical moment, where the debate on social, economic, and gender inequalities is gaining more and more space, naturalistic literature, especially Brazilian works, bring in their narrative the exposure of social ills, creating a parallel with the present day and promoting critical reflection on our society.

Overcoming the challenges of interpretation that naturalistic literature poses to students is the proposal of this project. We believe that by immersing themselves in this literary universe, students will be able to establish a connection between the problems discussed in fiction and the issues present in our daily lives, formulating opinions based on their own values and experiences.

Practical Activity

Activity Title: Dramatizing Naturalism

Project Objective

The project aims to bring students closer to the naturalistic literary universe through the creation and staging of a short theatrical play based on a naturalistic work chosen by the group. This process will allow students to better understand the historical and social context in which these works were written, as well as deepen their understanding of the themes and characteristics of the naturalistic literary movement.

Detailed Project Description

The work will be carried out in groups of 3 to 5 students. Each group must choose a literary work representative of Naturalism and perform a shared reading of it. Then, the group must adapt a passage from the chosen work to the format of a short theatrical play, lasting 10 to 15 minutes.

The activity proposes an immersive experience, where students will have the opportunity to interpret the characters and relive the situations proposed in the books, thus helping to better understand the reflections proposed by the works read.

The process of creating the play involves several stages that will require various skills from the students, such as interpretative reading, creative writing, and teamwork.

Necessary Materials

1. Naturalistic literary works (physical or digital books)
2. Materials for making scenery and costumes (optional)

Step by Step

1. Formation of work groups (3 to 5 students per group).
2. Choice of naturalistic literary work to be studied.
3. Shared reading and discussion of the chosen work.
4. Selection of a passage from the work to be adapted for the theater.
5. Elaboration of the script of the theatrical play, taking into account the characteristics of naturalism present in the work.
6. Division of roles for each group member.
7. Rehearsal and staging of the play.

Project Deliverables

At the end of the project, each group must deliver:

• The script of the theatrical play performed: The script must contain all the characters' lines and scene descriptions. The connection with the original work and the naturalistic movement must be clear.
• The recording of the staging of the theatrical play: The recording can be done with a smartphone. The image quality will not be an evaluation criterion. What matters is the students' performance and fidelity to the script and the original work.

In addition, each group must prepare a written report containing:

1. Introduction: Description of the chosen work, relevance in the context of naturalism, brief biography of the author, and reason for choosing the work.
2. Development: Discussion on the interpretation of the original text, details of the adaptation process for the theater, and reflection on the characteristics of naturalism present in the work.
3. Conclusion: Reflection on what was learned from the project, difficulties faced, solutions found, and connection of the work's themes with current reality.
4. Bibliography: Sources consulted during the project.

The script, the recording of the play, and the report must be delivered within a week after the start of the project.