Jake Todd Mrs. Sparks AP Lit. 4 December 2014 Jack London’s Cornerstone “I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.” (London). Jack London was a brilliant short story novelist who wrote during the turn of the 19th century. This quote depicts one of London’s most famous beliefs, that he would rather live a short and meaningful life than one long, yet lacking meaning. However, a different thematic element is portrayed throughout many of London’s short stories. Naturalism is this cornerstone that Jack London revolves many of his works around. This element is vital to recognize when attempting to understand the ideas that London is trying to communicate in his various works. “To …show more content…
This excerpt aptly shows just how London creatively ties in the power of nature over man in this short story. Again, the men on the boat are at the mercy of the story rather than in control of their own destiny. Another piece that shows London’s use of naturalism is his famous story “The Call of the Wild”. Jack London wrote an break off to the main story as a short story separately. This work shows London’s thematic element of naturalism by revolving his whole story around a dog. Obviously, this dramatic use of nature as the driving force behind his stories is clearly evident in this …show more content…
Their inability to ration food correctly, their reliance upon their largely useless knife and gun, and their disregard for the dogs’ suffering all attest to laws of the wilderness that they misunderstand or choose to ignore. As a result, the wilderness institutes a natural consequence for their actions.” (Robbins, 3) unfortunately later in the story these three characters dismiss the advice they were given by the character John Thornton. They attempt to take the team of dogs over a tract of ice that is not solid, which breaks and leads to their ultimate demise(their death). Throughout the novel London suggests that the wild is not actually as wild as it seems. Rather, there are set rules to being in the wild which must be obeyed or else the consequences must be faced. Again, his overuse of the wilderness show how London creates a naturalistic feeling in the short story “The Call of The