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

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Elements of naturalism in the creative method of 
Jack London 

CONTENT 
Introduction 
1.BOB Naturalism (1880s - 1940s)
1.1 History 
2.2 Characters and Setting
 
2.3Themes and Conflicts 
II.BOB Narrative Techniques and Naturalist Style
2.1 Jack London: “To Build a Fire” (1908) 
2.2 Plot 
2.3 Naturalist Elements 
III.BOB Man vs. Nature‟-Theme and Determinism
3.1 Wilderness and Nature 
3.2 Irony and Narrative Techniques 
3.3To Build a Fire“ as a Naturalist Short Story 
3.4 Works Cited 
Conclusion 
Used literature 

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Where there is no science and 
research, 
there 
will 
be 
no 
development, growth and, in 
general, the future of any field Sh. 
Mirziyoyev 
Introduction 
The short story “To Build a Fire” written by Jack London was first 
published in 1908 and is seen as a “masterpiece of short fiction” 
(Reesman 39) and “his best short story” (Peterson 3). Jack London 
demonstrates in “To Build a Fire” a “strong narration, fresh fictional 
subject, and ability to create atmosphere” (Nuernberg XXXII). The story 
is furthermore claimed as his “most often cited example for naturalism” 
(Reesman 39), which came up in the 1880s and lasted until the 1940s. 
This literary movement is seen as an outgrowth of Realism with the 
addition of pessimistic determinism and was influenced by Social 
Darwinism (cf. Campbell). Thus the most characteristic for naturalist 
stories is the fact that people are helpless victims of unchangeable 
natural laws, a harsh environment and their inner “animal drives”. These 
attributes and the naturalist typical „man vs. nature‟-theme can also be 
found in “To Build a Fire” and other stories by Jack London, which is 
one of the most famous representative of naturalism. In the following 
pages the typical characteristics of stories written during the literary 
movement naturalism will be explained. Afterwards these elements will 

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be pointed out in Jack London‟s story “To Build a Fire”. Last but not 
least, the question, whether “To Build a Fire” can be indicated as an 
example for naturalism will be discussed and finally answered. 
The literary movement naturalism describes a type of literature that 
attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to 
its study of human beings. Charles Walcutt calls this literary movement, 
whose effects last until today, “a wonder, a scandal, and a major force” 
(3). Authors argue that it is an outgrowth of realism, because according 
to George J. Becker it is realism with an explicit philosophical position 
being one of a “pessimistic, materialistic determinism” (Pizer 1984, 10). 
In addition, naturalism can also be indicated as a reaction to different 
scientific developments which influenced the view of the world in the 
late 19th century. Naturalistic writers try to replicate a believable 
everyday reality ”with a greater sense of the role of such causal forces as 
heredity and environment in determining behavior and belief” (Pizer 
1984, 10). Since naturalist authors attempt to determine scientifically the 
underlying forces influencing the actions of subjects, characters of 
naturalist stories can be studied by the relationship to their surroundings. 
Trough this objective study of human beings, naturalistic writers believe 
that the laws behind the forces that govern human lives have to be 
studied and understood and as a consequence they use scientific methods 
to write their novels. Furthermore, the belief of the authors that human 
beings are determined, reveals the influence of Social Darwinism on 
naturalism, which means that one‟s heredity and social environment 
determines one‟s character.

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