Conceptualization of Naturalism

 

            Arising out of Realism between 1890-1919, and driven by the scientific advancements of the time, Naturalism sought to reject the idea of free will, and inject scientific principles into literary works, often portraying an unsympathetic look at life and viewing human survival as contingent upon heredity, such as inherited traits and instincts, the environment, and external forces beyond their control. Authors of this literary movement often focused on key themes that advanced these ideas, such as survival, determinism, social taboo and violence, and man verses nature or man verses himself. Within in the 10^th edition of The Norton Anthology of American Literature 1865 – 1914, throughout pages 1088 – 1099 is Jack London’s “To Build a Fire,” and it is an excellent example of the way authors of this movement attempted to capture what they believed were the true realities of life. London employed several techniques to do this, through a detached perspective London highlights man verses nature and man verses himself, focusing on survival, and determinism, creating a tale that attempts to capture the true reality of nature’s indifference in the Yukon.

            The idea of determinism, defined by Merriam-Webster as “a theory or doctrine that act of the will, occurrences in nature, or social or psychological phenomena are causally determined by preceding events or natural laws (n-d.),” is central to London’s “To Build a Fire.” Jack presents nature as an unstoppable, unforgiving, and indifferent force, one that acts as an insistent obstacle that helps bring about the Yukon man’s downfall. London begins by highlighting the extreme and unrelenting cold, as the man’s spittle crackles in the air when he spits “There was a sharp, explosive crackle that startled him,” as the husky accompanying the man instinct’s scream that it was too cold “It was seventy-five degrees below zero,” through the man’s frozen beard, through the warnings of the old-timer at Sulphur Creek, London continuously evidences the harsh reality of nature in the Yukon (1089 para3; 1090 para 2). But determinism is also seen through the Yukon man’s lack of preparation and knowledge, London highlights that the man is a newcomer, “a chechaquo,” to this area, that he often missed the significance of things, and that he lacked instinct, as London explains that the husky’s instinct “told it a truer tale” than the man was able to decipher through judgement (1089, para 2; 1090, para 2). Though this lack of instinct also evidences naturalism’s view that human survival is contingent upon heredity.

            Throughout London’s “To Build a Fire,” we see many more of naturalism’s themes aiding the advance of the naturalist principles, as the Yukon man struggles to build a fire after he as fallen into the stream we see the theme of man verses nature, as he attempts to restart the fire repeatedly, through his attempts to kill the husky, and through his attempts to outrun the cold, but he is also fighting himself and his own ignorance and fear. The theme of survival adds to the principles of naturalism as well, but the most impactful use of these techniques, to me, is how London stresses nature’s indifference. As seen through London’s descriptions of the Yukon, its unbearable cold, but especially through the husky. Throughout the story, the husky displays concern only for its own survival, there is no emotional connection between dog and man, as London explains on page 1093, in the paragraph trailing from page 1092, that the husky was nothing but a “toil-slave” to the man, and that it felt no need to communicate to the man its anxiety. Though this paragraph also helps to advance the sense of determinism, for if the man had made a connection with the animal, then the animal may have provided assistance or compassion. The final line of this tale further drives this home as the husky leaves the man, dead and alone, to go in search of “food-providers and fire-providers,” unconcerned with the reality the man had to face (1099, para4).

"Kiba" - By Shelby Evans, shared with permission 

 

Works Cited:

Levine, Robert S., et al. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Volume C: 1865-1914. W.W. Norton & Company, 2022.

"Determinism.” Merriam-Webster's Learners Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/determinism, 13, Feb. 2025.

 Image is courtesy of my sister, Shelby Evans, and features her husky, Kiba, in the snow of Northern Washington State. These dogs are massive and powerful, with intense drive and strength, and I felt that the image lent support to the overall capabilities of the Husky.