“Look deep into nature,

and then you will

understand everything
better.”
– Albert Einstein
Naturalism

• A style of literature that shows people and

things as they actually are.

• A theory denying that event or object has a

supernatural significance.

• Naturalistic writers believe that the laws behind

the forces that govern human lives might be
studied and understood.
• Born in San Francisco

• First American writer to

become a millionaire

• His early hardships in life

along with his explicit
scenery descriptions made
his writings seem very
natural and real which
resulted to his writings’
popularity
• Age 24, first success at
writing

• Age 29, he was already

internationally famous for
The Call of the Wild and The
Sea-Wolf

• His own adventures in the

frozen area of Yukon
Territory (1897) were the
basis for many of his own
stories
 TO BUILD A FIRE

1902 1908

• The weather was not as • The weather is cold and

cold and dreadful dreadful
• No dog followed the • A dog follows the
protagonist protagonist
• The fire was not put out • The fire is put out
• The protagonist was • The protagonist is
named Tom Vincent unnamed
• The protagonist survived • The protagonist died of
and became a more hypothermia
melancholic but wiser
person
 TO BUILD A FIRE
(PLOT)

CLIMAX

Now that he can’t make another fire, he

becomes more desperate. He looks to
his dog and decides to kill it to warm
his hands into its warm body.

RISING ACTION FALLING ACTION

The man gets his legs wet and curses
his luck, knowing that he’ll be delayed
an hour while he stops to build another
fire and dry his boots.
EXPOSITION
The man lies down in the snow and
allows himself to slowly freeze to death.
As he drifts away, he can see himself
among his friends walking down the
creek from the camp and finding his own
body.

The man starts out with only a slight DENOUEMENT

awareness of how cold it is. He wants to
get to the mining camp at Henderson
Creek. There’s a dog walking at his
heels, and only the dog seems to realize
how crazy cold it is.
When it smells death on the man, the dog
eventually trots off toward the camp
where it will find food and a fire.
 TO BUILD A FIRE
(LITERARY FOCUS)

Foreshadowing - (Foreshadow: to give a

suggestion of something that has
not yet happened)

- London gives subtle clues

throughout the narrative pointing
to future points of danger in the
cold conditions.
 TO BUILD A FIRE
(LITERARY FOCUS)

Symbolisms
The
unnamed
protagonist is
symbolic of
any man
struggling
against
Means of survival forces
Hope outside of his
control.
 TO BUILD A FIRE
(LITERARY FOCUS)

Point of View - The 3rd Person Omniscient narration

gives the reader three distinct views:

1. that of an uncaring, unattached observer,

2. insight into the thoughts of the protagonist, and

3. insight into the thoughts of his companion, a dog.

 TO BUILD A FIRE
(LITERARY FOCUS)

Style
Naturalism – The
protagonist is subjected to
natural forces beyond his
control.

Realism – The actions and

thoughts by the protagonist
are painfully realistic.
 TO BUILD A FIRE
(LITERARY FOCUS)
Themes

• Survival of the fittest (Social Darwinism: humans

compete in struggle for existence.)
• Man’s insignificance - Nature is unfeeling,
unresponsive and will continue to survive long after
man died.
• Nature’s power - A seemingly skilled, intelligent
protagonist quickly finds himself in dire
circumstances.
• Instinct over reason - As the story progresses the
man’s ability to reason becomes of less value than
his dog’s ability to rely on its instinct.
 GROUP ACTIVITY
(pp. 342-343)
Group 1: Prepare a timeline showing Naturalism and
Realism as literary periods in the 19th to 20th centuries.
Give particular events that led to these historical
phenomena.

Group 2: Explain the following illustration about Social

Darwinism:
 GROUP ACTIVITY

Group 3: Go back in time and check whether there

were situations similar to what’s happening now in our
society. Then do a short documentary report about this.
Highlight the important events/periods.

Group 4: Make a connection between the story and

what’s happening now in our country by composing a
rap song. Make it short but meaningful.

Group 5: Imagine that you are in a time machine.

Compare and contrast what will happen in the future if
the problems we are experiencing now will prevail or will
change. Prepare a simple illustration on manila paper
and explain in class.
 ASSIGNMENT
(1/2 crosswise)

Directions: Give a specific event

in the story showing the nature’s
way of helping and destroying the
man. 5 pts.
REFERENCES:

(2015) Celebrating Diversity Through World

Literature. Pasig City: DepEd-IMCS. pp. 334-343.

“To Build A Fire”. Retrieved from

https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-opera-
mini-
android&channel=new&q=to+build+a+fire+ppt&aqs=
mobile-gws-lite. Retrieved on December 18, 2018.