The German Naturalists and Gerhart Hauptmann

Book excerpt: Gerhart Hauptmann's relationship to Naturalism has repeatedly been a subject of controversy. To clarify his position, this study analyses both published and unpublished opinions of his contemporaries within Naturalism. Following an outline of Naturalism based on the authors' own views of the often conflicting concepts related to the movement, emphasis is placed upon Naturalist critical response to Hauptmann's early works and upon the works of other Naturalist dramatists in relation to Hauptmann, underlining the authors' dependence upon his dramas as a model for literary success.