Common Topics in Literature: Nature

When Reading Literature About Nature, Consider… What is the author’s/narrator’s attitude about nature? Reverential? Afraid? Respectful? Loving? Joyful? Identifying the author’s tone can go a long way toward identifying the theme. How is the relationship between the character(s) and the natural world portrayed? Is “man vs. nature” the main conflict of the story, or is the relationship between humanity and the natural world a more harmonious one? Does nature reflect what is going on inside of a character? For instance, if a character is having an emotional breakdown and a storm starts raging outside, the author is using the natural world (the “macrocosm”) to mirror changes in the “little universe” of one human being (the “microcosm”).

Background information on Jack London Jack London spent time on the very creek that was the man's destination “To Build a Fire” in November of 1897, hoping to find gold during the Klondike Gold Rush, which began with the discovery of gold in the Klondike (an area in Alaska) in Many men rushed north thinking to make their fortunes and found cold, bitter weather and inhospitable terrain they weren't prepared for instead.

Miners Climbing Chilkoot Pass

Jack London and Naturalism London belonged to the “Naturalist” school of writers. "Naturalism assumes that humans have little if any control over what happens. Rather, things happen to people, who are at the mercy of a variety of external and internal forces…" from The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms Another characteristic of Naturalist writing is its lack of commentary on the events of the story. How is “To Build a Fire” a “Naturalist” story? Do you think that “Traveling Through the Dark” fits this definition as well?

Jack London and Naturalism Naturalism is related to the idea of “determinism.” From the Stanford Philosophy Encyclopedia: "Causal determinism is, roughly speaking, the idea that every event is necessitated by antecedent events and conditions together with the laws of nature." In other words, every event happens because it must. How does this apply to human thought and action in the works we read for today?

Questions to consider: In “To Build a Fire,” is the man's fate inevitable? What events let up to his certain demise? At what point was his fate sealed? In “Traveling Through the Dark” what events “necessitate” (cause to be necessary) the speaker’s actions at the end of the poem? What different types of knowledge are being contrasted in “To Build a Fire”? What are each of these works saying about humanity’s relationship with nature?

“Sleeping in the Forest” Both “To Build a Fire” and “Traveling in the Dark” are about humans in direct contact with nature – and so is "Sleeping in the Forest" p However, this last poem is quite different in how it deals with the connections between humanity and nature. How? You might also want to consider the theme of “nature as a source of self-knowledge.”

Attitudes Towards Nature If you had to describe these three authors' attitudes toward nature, what would you say about each of them? How does the relationship between the man and the dog change over the course of the short story, and what do you think that says about London’s attitude towards “human” intelligence?

Romanticism in "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" p. 653 In this view… Nature is sublime. (Awe-inspiring.) Nature is a source of inspiration and comfort. (Wordsworth wrote in his preface to Lyrical Ballads that his definition of poetry was "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.") What else can you say about Wordsworth's view of nature after reading this poem?

Faith and Doubt in "Dover Beach" on p. 677 In this poem… The sea is a metaphor for faith. What do you think this tells us about Arnold’s attitude towards faith/religion? Do you think that this poem is ultimately pessimistic? Why or why not? Why does Arnold allude to Sophocles in lines 15-20? What else can we say about Arnold's use of nature?

"Greasy Lake" p. 396 How would you describe this author's use of nature? Point to specific places that support your ideas. How would you compare this author's use of nature to the others we have looked at during our unit on nature? What did you think of these differences? Does the narrator's view of nature stay consistent throughout the story, or does it shift?

“Greasy Lake” Group Work Get into groups and find (at least) three uses of natural imagery that are startling or surprising. Tell me why they are unusual. You might also want to bring in comparisons to other literature about nature we’ve read this week.

In Class Writing #6 Write a paragraph comparing two of the works about nature we have read for today. Quote each work (whether it is a poem or a short story) correctly at least once, and be sure to include your own analysis and interpretation of the work. See p. 58 of your textbook for how to correctly quote a poem in MLA format, and remember that you can quote one line, multiple lines, or parts of one line, whichever suits your purpose. Try to practice using the same tone and style you will need to use for your paper. This means limiting the use of “I” and “me” (unless these words are in your quotes from the literature) and maintaining the tone expected of academic writing by your audience.