The Ironweed novel tries to show that naturalism exists in the fiction of America. Francis is the main character since the novel talks about his life as an alcohol addict and the consequences that followed him. He also killed other people who had wronged him since he was filled with anger and could act with violence when a person does something wrong to him.

The novel talks of a man by the name Francis Phelan who was a drug addict and ended up killing his son, though it was accidental. The setting of the book was during the era of the great depression. The novel Ironweed is a literature novel which was written by William Kennedy.

He lived a troubled life full of violence, but he longed for the day to understand himself and change his life. The novel discusses one primary protagonist, who is known as Francis. Ironweed is a novel discussing the lives of homeless people in the city of Albany, considering their lives under poverty and depression. Naturalism takes the world the way it is, for good or sickness (Smith 7).Ī novel for literature is often distinguished by the people’s characteristics and life experiences in the book. Another recurring element was the power of emotions, which are primitive to negate the human being’s reasoning. The major theme in the literature of naturalism is that people are destined for any kind of life that the environment, inheritance, and social circumstances have prepared for them. They carried out studies on how their actions and instincts rule people and how environmental and inherited forces rule their lives. They use scientific methods when they are writing their novels. Impetuous and daring in moments of action, Francis also proves to be extremely cautious, avoiding, for instance, the threat of arrest at almost any cost.Even though the primary aim of naturalistic writers is to study humans, they believe that the rules behind forces that manage human life should be considered, and they should also be understood. Added to these contradictions is Francis’s love of freedom and motion and escape-all of which run counter to his deep-seated loyalty and love for his family and for the city of Albany. Meanwhile, counterbalancing his quick temper is a reflective and thoughtful nature that holds sway in quiet moments-much of the text follows his deep and vivid trains of thought. On the other hand, when threatened or insulted, he typically responds proudly and angrily, as his violent past indicates. For instance, Francis is generous and friendly to almost everyone and quick to share a sandwich or a funny word (in his decidedly working-class speech). Much of the tension and uncertainty of the novel arises from seemingly contradictory traits that Francis exemplifies. As Ironweed’s protagonist, 58-year-old vagrant Francis Phelan faces a variety of internal doubts and struggles which drive the central conflict of the plot.

Ironweed book