Naturalist writers base their stories on the fact that free will amounts to nothing, human beings are no more important than animals, and nature can be hostile and indifferent. Jack London’s story, “To Build a Fire” focused specifically on nature as a hostile force. Though the man in the story made some unintelligent choices, nature did not help him during his travel. The man soon found out that nature was not his friend. “To …showed first 75 words of 726 total…

…showed last 75 words of 726 total…at nature, as if he was superior to it. However, as his travel continued, his attitude changed from humorous to serious. He soon realized that the nature of the environment was no laughing matter. “…As he realized that it was no longer a mere matter of freezing his fingers and toes, or of losing his hands and feet, but that it was a matter of life and death with the chances of winning against him” (826).