Jack London content introduction bob naturalism (1880s 1940s)

The Elements of Naturalism 
The major elements of naturalist works are determinism, objectivity, 
pessimism, setting, and plot twists. 
Determinism 
This is the philosophical belief that external causes are responsible for 
all the events in an individual‟s life. Fate, nature, or heredity explain 

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why a character‟s journey unfolds the way it does. Forces beyond one‟s 
will and control predetermine everything. 
For example, in William Faulkner‟s short story “A Rose for Emily,” 
the central character‟s insanity is a foregone conclusion. It is a natural 
byproduct of the oppressive control her father exerted over her, her 
codependent relationship with him, and the self-imposed isolation she 
maintained her entire life. It‟s clear to the reader that there was never 
any hope for Miss Emily—her fate was determined by her 
circumstances. 
Objectivity 
Naturalist writers maintain an objectivity in their storytelling. They 
detach themselves from the emotional components of the story and 
serve more as impartial observers of what transpires. When discussing 
emotions at all, the focus is on primitive emotions of survival, usually 
in a hostile world. 
In 
The Red Badge of Courage
, Crane describes a battle scene with a 
cool remove: 
The men dropped here and there like bundles. The captain of the 
youth‟s company had been killed in an early part of the action. His 
body lay stretched out in the position of a tired man resting, but upon 
his face there was an astonished and sorrowful look, as if he thought 
some friend had done him an ill turn. 
Rather than drawing readers focus to the viscerally disturbing realities 
of battle, he takes an almost lackadaisical approach to depict the scene. 

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The imagery it evokes is commonplace—describing dead men as 
bundles or resting—rather than violent. 
Pessimism 
Authors of naturalist works typically possess a cynical or fatalistic 
worldview, wherein they don‟t see their characters as having much 
power over their lives or decisions. These writers view life as a glass-
half-empty prospect. 
An example of this appears in Jack London‟s classic adventure 
novel 
The Call of the Wild
, in which the central character is a dog 
named Buck. “Thus, as token of what a puppet thing life is,” London 
writes, “the ancient song surged through him and he came into his own 
again.” Calling life a “puppet thing” is a pessimistic way of viewing the 
human—or animal—experience. 
Setting 
Naturalism puts great emphasis on the impact of environment, so 
location tends to play a significant role in these works. The setting 
often becomes a character in and of itself. 
This is the case in Frank Norris‟s novel 
McTeague: A Story of San 
Francisco
. The downfall of the title character and his wife plays out 
against a California backdrop, from San Francisco to Death Valley, 
where the shattered dreams of the gold-seeking miners reflect the 
shattered dreams of the McTeagues. 
Plot Twists 

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Many naturalist works include a plot twist or some type of intense gut-
punch at the end of the story. This underscores the futility of the 
character‟s struggle and the fixed quality of their destiny. For instance, 
Kate Chopin‟s novel 
The Awakening
 ends with Edna Pontellier 
drowning herself in the Gulf of Mexico after rebelling against the 
societal role assigned to her.