Jack London and Naturalismand “To Build a Fire”

Naturalism

Application of principles of

Scientific determinism

To fiction and drama

If it's real, it exists in nature

Everything that is realExists in nature

Or objects, actions, forcesWhich have causes explained

ThroughObjective scientific inquiry

The naturalistic view of human beingsis of

animals in the natural world.

In London's “To Build a Fire”

Look for instances in which the man's descriptions are put in terms that resemble the dog.

Realism vs. Naturalism

Realism presents the commonplace

Naturalism presents elements that can reveal a pattern of ideas

The pattern is that of scientific theory

Romanticism vs. Naturalism

Naturalism finds reality in scientific laws

The elements is presents represent that natural “reality” or pattern

Romanticism finds reality in transcendent ideas

The elements it presents represent that transcendent “reality” or pattern

Note the differences:

Romanticism acknowledges transcendence.

Naturalism limits itself to what is scientifically knowable in nature.

Determinism in Naturalism

Naturalism presents a reality that is “determined”. Things, people, animals behave according to natural laws that are predictable.

Examples Rocks fall because of gravity Animals behave based on instinct People behave based on influential forces NOTE NOT BECAUSE OF FREE WILL OR

GOD.

Determinism in Naturalism

Some of the determining factors that “cause” people to behave in specific ways include

Mechanistic determinism (from Newton) Biological determinism (from Darwin) Economic and Social forces (from Marx) Inner and Subconscious forces (from Freud) Social and Environmental Forces (from

Comte)

What do these “forces” mean for the behavior of people today?

We hear of these forces often:

A person behaves as he/she does because that race has evolved to behave that way.

A person behaves as he/she does because he/she is poor, rich, upper-class, lower-class.

A person behaves as he/she does because he/she has repressed social, sexual, anger, or other issues.

Those examples are very simplified, but speak somewhat to the “deterministic” way of seeing the

world.

One believes that behavior is caused by outside forces and there is no transcendent intervention

(God, or even the soul or free will) to change that behavior. In this way, the human is like an

animal, behaving on instinct and as he/she is bred to behave.

Consider London's Naturalism

In “To Build a Fire” London presents “the man” Without a name In terms that resemble a dog or animal

W/ a muzzle of ice (283)Without imagination (281)

As not reflecting on his death in transcendent terms (heaven/hell/life-after-death) (293)

London's stories tend to present human struggles

against the forces of nature in pessimistic terms.

Animals tend to succeed where people do not.

Dog vs. Man

Dog Depressed (282)

Apprehensive and questions man's movements(282)

Dog and ancestry had known cold (285-286)

Man Does not consider

his frailty (281)

Not given to thinking (283)

Did not know cold (285)

Deterministic Vision

Finally, London has us see the deterministic vision in the man's reflections on his death. He thinks, “Well he was bound to freeze anyway, and he might as well take it decently” (293).

He sees his death as determined because he did not take the old timer's advice. He dies in a purely natural context, not a spiritual setting.

Assignment for London Due June 27 at midnight

Because this is our last reading in Realism and Naturalism, reflect (from your own opinion) what London's approach means to you. Does his naturalism agree with your perspective on humanity? What new insights do you gain from London? What points disturb you? Please post, and reply to at least one classmate. You may discuss in depth! He should provoke some interesting thought in light of the Christian worldview.