The Inevitable Fate Of Man

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The Inevitable Fate of Man
Theodore Dreiser’s ideas of naturalism hinged on the premise that it is the duty of the novelist to always tell the truth, especially in situations when such truth telling presents hard facts about life. His literature, along with the other great naturalistic writers of the time, touches on uncomfortable themes that can sometimes question the motives that drive people. His works speak of the “true nature” of man: his selfish, headstrong emotions, his desires to move up in life, and his stubbornness in attempting to beat unconquerable obstacles. These naturalistic works can be pessimistic at times; characters are often pitted against forces of the natural world that they simply cannot overcome. Dreiser’s “True Art Speaks Plainly” helps to further define the ideas prevalent in naturalism as they relate to Jack London’s short story “To Build a Fire;” the emotions that drive the Man, his fight for his life in dire circumstances, and his futility in facing the unforgiving hand of fate are all key components in naturalistic literature.
Naturalism does not simply present life as it really appears; emphasis is placed on taking a scientific view on how the natural world influences people and shapes their lives in a number of ways. People are not able create their own futures, and they can only “futilely [respond] to the things that [happen] to them” (Baym 548). Dreiser claims that the job of the novelist is to present these findings “honestly and without subterfuge” (562). Ignoring the vices of man and simply writing about the comfortable themes of life produces “some half-conceived notion of life that bears no honest relationship to either the whole of nature or to man” (Dreiser 563). According to Dreiser, nat...

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...us fate. In the end, there was nothing he could to survive and change his destiny.
The main purpose of naturalistic literature is to detach from any one person and to analyze how the principles of the natural world can influence people in a myriad of ways. According to the ideas of naturalism, people are victims to the unfeeling hand of fate beyond their own control. The illusion of free will is shattered, replaced by a deterministic outlook on life. No matter what a person does, external forces are the ultimate authority governing his life. Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” is an excellent illustration of these common themes of naturalism. The Man in the story truly believes that he can change his fate and conquer the forces of nature that he is faced with. However, just like many others before him, he too fails to overcome these forces and perishes in the process.

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