Pages 601 to 603 provide quite a few quotes that can prove To Build a Fire is a naturalist story. These pages will depend on the text book you are using. For example, these page numbers belong to the American Literature Comp published by McGraw Hill in 2009. The quote says ‘as the inexperienced adventurer travels out in search of gold, he ignores all signs of danger such as the drastically cold weather which he underestimates.’
This is a man versus nature quote. Naturalism in writing is a detailed realism of environment, social conditions, heredity and most importantly recreating everyday life so that it seems like it is reality. If you take this definition then any quote in the short story having to deal with man versus nature, nature as it is described, or even dog against nature can help prove the short story is a naturalist story.
Even statements like ‘Day had broken cold and grey, exceedingly cold and grey,’ are considered to be naturalism because the writer, Jack London is telling you just how cold the day awakened as. ‘A foot of snow had fallen since the last sled had passed over...he was glad he was without a sled, travelling light,’ is yet another example of the writer using naturalist effects to describe the man’s journey and how tough it could be given the naturalist elements. If you consider realism of environment to be in a naturalist story then each time the writer shows man versus nature you have evidence to prove a naturalist story.
‘Powder frost’ and ‘crystallized breath’ are other elements used that you can use to picture the realness of the story. You can just imagine what it would be like to see your breath freeze before you or your spit freeze before it hits the ground. So, quotes like this will prove the naturalist basis.
This is a man versus nature quote. Naturalism in writing is a detailed realism of environment, social conditions, heredity and most importantly recreating everyday life so that it seems like it is reality. If you take this definition then any quote in the short story having to deal with man versus nature, nature as it is described, or even dog against nature can help prove the short story is a naturalist story.
Even statements like ‘Day had broken cold and grey, exceedingly cold and grey,’ are considered to be naturalism because the writer, Jack London is telling you just how cold the day awakened as. ‘A foot of snow had fallen since the last sled had passed over...he was glad he was without a sled, travelling light,’ is yet another example of the writer using naturalist effects to describe the man’s journey and how tough it could be given the naturalist elements. If you consider realism of environment to be in a naturalist story then each time the writer shows man versus nature you have evidence to prove a naturalist story.
‘Powder frost’ and ‘crystallized breath’ are other elements used that you can use to picture the realness of the story. You can just imagine what it would be like to see your breath freeze before you or your spit freeze before it hits the ground. So, quotes like this will prove the naturalist basis.
