Comparing Naturalism In The Open Boat And To Build A Fire

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Naturalism expresses the idea that humanity does not matter in the grand scheme of life. Naturalism writers do not hide negative details from the readers; if anything, naturalism writers highlight negativity. Because of this somewhat constant negativity within naturalism writing, naturalism is sometimes viewed as pessimistic. The naturalism movement is based around the teachings and discoveries of Charles Darwin. The survival of the fittest, a Darwinian discovery, is a common theme of naturalism works. Unlike romanticism and transcendentalism, naturalism does not put emphasis on nature’s connection to man. Naturalism is very objective, whereas transcendentalism is very subjective. Naturalism views nature as indifferent towards humanity. Naturalists …show more content…

“The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane is about men who are shipwrecked and live together on a tiny raft. The characters in “The Open Boat” are the oiler, the correspondent, the cook, and the captain. The four men battle harsh conditions at sea while waiting to be rescued. “To Build a Fire” by Jack London is about a solitary man who travels through the frigid Yukon in Alaska. The Man eventually comes across a dog while travelling; this dog continues to stay with the Man for the remainder of the Man’s life. The Man makes many mistakes and eventually dies because of a mistake he made. Both “The Open Boat” and “To Build a Fire” use characterization of the protagonists to support the core beliefs associated with the naturalism …show more content…

However, the shipwreck and time with the cook, captain, and oiler changes the correspondent’s view on life. Prior to the shipwreck, correspondent thought that he mattered. The events following the shipwreck teach the correspondent that the world cares little about him--this realization changes the correspondent's life. Likewise, the Man in “To Build a Fire” has an awakening. At the beginning of the Man’s journey, he is stubborn and truly believes that his decision to travel into the Yukon is a good choice. The

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