Frank Norris

Date of Birth: March 5, 1870

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Date of Death: October 25, 1902

Biography

Frank Norris, born Benjamin Franklin Norris Jr., was an American novelist, born on March 5, 1870, in Chicago, Illinois. He is best known for his novels that depict the profound effects of social and economic forces on individuals and society. Norris’s work often focused on naturalism, a literary movement that emphasizes observation and the scientific method in the fictional portrayal of reality. Norris moved to San Francisco with his family in 1884, where he later attended the University of California, Berkeley. He did not graduate but went on to study at Harvard University, where he was influenced by the contemporary French naturalists. His experiences and observations during his travels to South Africa and as a war correspondent in Cuba during the Spanish-American War also had a significant impact on his writing. Norris’s most notable works include “McTeague” (1899), a grimly realistic portrayal of a San Francisco dentist, and “The Octopus” (1901), which is part of his unfinished trilogy, “The Epic of the Wheat.” The trilogy was intended to examine the production, distribution, and consumption of wheat. Sadly, Norris’s promising literary career was cut short when he died of peritonitis on October 25, 1902, at the age of 32.

5 Interesting Facts about Frank Norris

1. Frank Norris initially studied painting at the Académie Julian in Paris before turning to literature.

2. “The Octopus” is based on the Mussel Slough Tragedy, a conflict between wheat farmers and the Southern Pacific Railroad.

3. Norris worked as a journalist and editor for various periodicals, including the San Francisco Chronicle and McClure’s Magazine.

4. He was a strong advocate of the naturalist movement in American literature, influenced by authors like Émile Zola.

5. Norris’s work inspired later authors, including John Steinbeck, who shared Norris’s interest in social justice and the plight of the underprivileged.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Frank Norris

1. “The People are a giant, a sleeping giant, who, once awakened, can never be put to sleep again.”

2. “I never truckled. I never took off the hat to Fashion and held it out for pennies. By God, I told them the truth.”

3. “The function of the artist is to observe and then to interpret his observations by the medium of art.”

4. “It’s the great, big, broad land ‘way up yonder, It’s the forests where silence has lease; It’s the beauty that thrills me with wonder, It’s the stillness that fills me with peace.”

5. “The story is true. The facts are real. But the interpretation of those facts, the meaning of the story, is mine.”