Crain vs London

Now in class we have been introduced to the concept of naturalism which is a shift from realism. Both naturalism and realism are from the same branch and that is why many scholars do not distinguish them as different movements. Naturalism is a type of literature that applies to scientific principals of objectivity and detachment to the study of human beings. In class we read some pieces of two important naturalist writers which are Crane and London. Both these writers wrote about how humans react to nature and how insignificant they are against it. In their works they described nature as a very powerful force against humans. in "To Build a Fire" by London he described a 'man' as an insignificant human being against nature. Crane depicted him as almost stupid and without an imagination to survive. Nature was up against him and of course took over him. This is a very naturalist view of nature since it is seen as an indifferent force. On the other hand, we take into account Crane's "The Open Boat" where a group of human beings are put against nature and trying to survive. They each put their skills to work but then again we see how nature is much too strong for any human being.