A Comparative Study of the Manifestations of Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” and Jack London’s “To Build a Fire”.

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Date

2016-06

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University Mouloud Mammeri of Tizi-Ouzou

Abstract

This dissertation explores the manifestation(s) of naturalism in the works of two outstanding American writers, namely Stephen Crane and Jack London. We seek to show the ways in which Stephen Crane‘s short story “The Open Boat” and Jack London’s “ToBuild aFire” display the elements that are said to be pillars of naturalism. Our special aim is to explain how these two American writers share the common concern of portraying the nineteenth century America. To achieve such an aim, we resorted to social Darwinist theoretical approach, following Herbert Spencer’s ideas of social Darwinism and highlighting the most important naturalistic features present in the two selected short stories, among which we mention the indifference of nature toward human struggle, the survival of the fittest, fate and determinism as well as pessimism and hopelessness.

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50p.;30cm.(+cd)

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Citation

Littératures Comparées