The Protagonist in Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” is confronted with all three aspects of naturalism. He is traveling alone with only his dog to meet other men at a cam

Jack London and Charlotte Perkins Gilman both use naturalistic themes throughout their short stories “To Build a Fire” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”. “The term naturalism describes a type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings”(Campbell, 1). Although London and Gilman have very different styles of writing, their characters face the same themes throughout the story. “To Build a Fire” describes a man trying to over come the cold and travel to a camp many miles away. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is the true account of Gilman’s struggle with post pardon depression. Like many nineteenth century authors, London and Gilman use naturalism to create conflict for their characters.

In “To Build a fire” the main character is also faced with the battle against himself and other men. In time he realizes “The old-timer on Sulphur Creek was right, he thought in the moment of controlled despair that ensued: after fifty below, a man should travel with a partner”(London, 1346). Although he is told numerous times that it is to cold to travel he continues to do it anyway. His stubbornness about getting to the camp by six also leads up to his down fall. He also must battle with himself about whether or not to continue on with his journey to the camp. When he realizes that it is a great deal colder than he originally thought, and he could still turn around, but he is over come by stubbornness and still travels on. Finally after debating with himself, he comes to the conclusion to just sit down by a tree and go to sleep. He does realize that he will most likely never wake up again. He decides that he is all right with the others finding him frozen to death against a tree. When he dies his dog abandons him, because he knows from the beginning that the trip was a stupid idea. The dog is cut out for the journey with his thick fur coat, but man is not; therefore, the dog lives but man does not. London’s protagonist reaches ultimate failure, he has proven the point that mans stupidity will always lead

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