In this essay a Formalist (New Critical) approach is being employed in an analysis of Jack London’s “To Build a Fire.” It will be used to explicate how this story is an example of Naturalism; in which Nature is conceived as the world of objects, actions, and forces which yield the secrets of their causation and their being to objective scientific inquiry. Also, by analyzing specific language imagery it will illustrate the concept of Naturalism from a Darwinian perspective. Charles Darwin’s theory of the Survival of the Fittest and Natural Selection will be used to help gain a sense of understanding for this story.

“We have seen that man by selection can certainly produce great results, and can adapt organic beings to his own uses, through the accumulation of slight but useful variations, given to him by the hand of Nature. But Natural Selection, as we shall hereafter see, is a power incessantly ready for action, and is as immeasurably superior to man’s feeble efforts, as the works of Nature are to those of Art.” (Charles Darwin)

As an outstanding practitioner of naturalistic fiction, Jack London depicts th

And he had not thought his fingers could go lifeless in so short a time. Lifeless they were, for he could scarcely make them move together to grip a twig, and they seemed remote from his body and from him. When he touched a twig, he had to look and see whether or not he had hold of it. The wires were pretty well down between him and his finger ends. (London 492)

From a Darwinian perspective this shows the animal’s inherent nature of understanding things greater than itself; where as the man seems to be in denial of his place in Nature. The dog is working off instincts from its ancestral genes, but the man is working only off his own judgment, which has been passed by no one from his ancestry.

The man is shown here as a small creature compared with the high banks and fat timberland; that hasn’t the ability to conquer the land but excuses himself with feeble cover ups. This also explicates Naturalistic writing in that Nature is depicted as a larger, more powerful entity than man. Furthermore, in following the Naturalistic approach, the man in this story is left nameless. This was done because in Naturalism names are inconsequential and he is just like every other animal on earth.

… When the man turned aside from the main Yukon trail and climbed the high earth-bank, where a dim and little-traveled trail led eastward through the fat spruce timberland. It was a steep bank, and he paused for breath at the top, excusing the act to himself by looking at his watch. (London 486)

London is showing what makes one creature more likely to survive compared to another, explaining what would make one more fit for the environment it is placed in. Once again the man’s ignorance is apparent where as the dog uses its instincts to understand what is necessary for its survival. The man seems to be lacking any inherited knowledge of what his limitations are on this cold tundra. The dog on the other hand, knows its place in the universe and is willing to humble to the power of Nature.

As this man is freezing on the tundra with no help from artificial life support the Darwinian perspective comes into play once again. It shows that the man simply does not have the inherited genetics that it takes to overcome Natures A-Moral fist:

Some topics in this essay:
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