Naturalism vs. realism

    Both Down by the Riverside and A Raisin in the Sun share the theme of black characters facing futures that seem to crumble before their eyes, yet the stories present this theme in very different ways. One major difference between these two is that one uses naturalism, and the other uses realism. To understand the difference between these two stories, we must first understand what naturalism and realism are. First off, naturalism, as can be seen in the name, has to do with nature. In naturalism, the characters are at the mercy of nature and natural events. In general, in a naturalist story, characters barely have a say as to what happens; nature controls them and the story. Realism is very different in contrast; In realism, the characters have a lot of power in what is going on. The point of realism is to place characters in a certain situation with an assigned personality, and to have them react to that situation based on their personality. In these stories, Down by the Riverside is based on naturalism, and A Raisin in the Sun is based on realism.

    To start, Down by the Riverside is centered around a natural event: the flooding of the Mississippi River. The way that this represents naturalism is the way in which the flood controls the story, thus making naturalism the main focus of the story. From the beginning of the story, it can be seen how important the flood is going to be. When reading the story, the reader seems to get a sense of hopelessness, where the story is just one bad thing after another. This feeling also feeds into a main theme of naturalism: how in control nature is. In naturalism, the characters have a lot less of a say in what is happening than you might think. In naturalism, not only are the characters at the mercy of nature, but, commonly, the characters are specifically being tormented by nature. This shows in Down by the Riverside: in the story, it seems like Mann can't catch a break because of the story. First, he has to take his wife to the hospital, then he is put in situations where it requires him to kill and steal, and finally, he is put in a situation that leads to his death. This way in which the characters respond to nature is a perfect example of naturalism in a story.

    In contrast, A Raisin in the Sun is a very realist story. In this story, the characters are given very specific personalities so that the story can unfold in accordance with realism. The way that realism plays out in this story is the main event of the previously poor family getting a large sum of money, and each character has to respond in accordance with their personalities. For example, Walter wants to spend the money on a liquor store, in hopes that this investment will become a sustainable job; Mama wants to spend the money on more realistic things, such as a new house and a college fund for Walter's sister. In the end, they seem to agree that most of the money will go to a house and the college fund, but the remaining money will go to Walter and his liquor store. Unfortunately, due to Walter's character, he takes the money and puts it into his liquor store, which ends up being a scam and leads to the loss of all the money. Now that the money is gone, the characters are put into new, difficult situations: should they get a refund on the house? Should they give in to white racism? Letting realism once again unfold in this story.

    These are two very different stories, incorporating two different styles of storytelling: realism and naturalism. The main difference between these two stories is how much power the characters are given. In Down by the Riverside, the characters are given minimal power, and they therefore suffer from the various difficulties of the story. On the other hand, in A Raisin in the Sun, the characters are given a lot of power over their situation, which leads to an ending that is quite happy but rather optimistic. There is one thing that is very common between these two stories, and that is that they are both written to criticize racism in their own way, though they contrast in how they do it. The naturalism in Down by the Riverside gives a less optimistic outlook on racism. It uses the tragedy of the flood to represent how racism is crushing the black race, and how there doesn't seem to be a way out. The realism in A Raisin in the Sun gives a bit more of a hopeful view. The explicit use of racism as a conflict in the story, as well as the characters trying to make the best of the situation they are in, represents the idea that there can always be a way out of the situation that you are in, no matter the circumstances.