This research work deals with subjects of great interest in current criticism---the impact of the New Historicist studies on the interpretation of American literary naturalism, and the issue of the possible persistence of the movement in contemporary fiction. Other essays deal with Norris, Crane and Dreiser who have up to now been considered canonical figures within literary naturalism while Wharton and Chopin are discussed as recent and welcome additions to the discussion of this movement and American literature in general.

This work should be seen as a successor to Pizer’s well received THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF AMERICAN LITERARY NATURALISM (1993).