American Lit – The Call of the Wild Naturalism Paper Assignment
Points to review before you write:
Naturalism: Through [an] objective study of human beings, naturalistic writers believed that the laws behind
the forces that govern human lives might be studied and understood. Naturalistic writers thus used a version of
the scientific method to write their novels; they studied human beings governed by their instincts and passions
as well as the ways in which the characters' lives were governed by forces of nature and their environment.
Although they used the techniques of accumulating detail pioneered by the realists, the naturalists thus had a
specific object in mind when they chose the segment of reality that they wished to convey. (Prof. Donna
Campbell’s American Lit pages, Washington State University}
Jack London
Jack London was both a naturalist and a realist. He believed in the overwhelming power
of primordial nature. Essentially, he believed in Charles Darwin’s notion of “survival of the
fittest” he believed nature did not “care” about mankind and mankind’s advances, but allowed
to survive only those beings which were strongest and smartest in tooth and nail. He believed in
the power of instinct, and the power of scientific observation to demonstrate the fragility of
humanity’s “dominance” through its advances in civilization. As a writer, he strove to tell
immediate stories by maintaining a detached and objective tone. He used many realistic details
to describe the environments his characters inhabit, in order to demonstrate the power of those
environments and circumstances.
Knowing all of this about London, use the text of The Call of the Wild to prove that he fits the definition
of a naturalist.aq
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Assignment
Using evidence from the text show how both London’s “dog-hero” Buck and his human
characters:
1. are governed by their instincts and passions
2. are faced with the hierarchy of survival
3. live in a world where the environment dictates their actions and responses
When examining these factors take into consideration: which characters survive and which fail?
how does either end occur?
Use this chart to keep track of the ways the characters are:
governed by their instincts and
passions
faced with the hierarchy of
survival
live in a world where the
environment dictates their
actions and responses