“To Build a Fire”by Jack London

Where We’ve Been

• During unit 1 we took at look at:

– Native American Literature

– Literature of the Early Settlers (Puritan,

Colonial, etc)

– Revolutionary Literature

– Romanticism (including Transcendentalism)

– Realism

Historical Context

• 1861: Civil War begins• 1862: Homestead Act to encourage westward

expansion• Late 1860s-1870s: Reconstruction• 1880s: Major Changes in Way of Life

– Electricity, phone, cars, motion pictures, etc– Sees a lower quality of living (low wages, long

hours, child labor, etc)

• 1890s: “Frontier” is gone• KNOWN AS “GILDED AGE”

See page 462-473 for more context

This Brings Us To:

• Romanticism (1820s-1860s)– Backlash to the strict religious doctrine and

societal expectations set by early settlers– Value individualism, creativity, and being true to

yourself

• Realism/Naturalism (1850s-1910s)– Backlash to the wide, sweeping changes in the

face of the country (industrialization, urbanization, war, etc)

Realism and Naturalism

Realism

• “Real life,” ordinary people

• Honest, objective, factual

• Loneliness and isolation of prairie life

• Small town life• Realists, after seeing the devastation and

tragedy of war, no longer saw the point of “sugar coating” or focusing on only ideals. Focus on REALITY!

Naturalism

• A branch of Realism• A fascination with things humans can not

control– Nature– Blind Faith– Heredity– Chance

• A parallel to American life– Urbanization– Mechanization– Anonymity

Jack London

• Wrote stories that use nature as the main

source of conflict

• Fascinated by Alaskan wilderness or the

“Yukon”

• Fascinated by the dogs of the Alaskan

territories

• Explores the things which are out the realm

of control for humans

YOUR TASK

Create a Map

• Trace the following elements found in the story:– The major events of the

story

– Elements of Naturalism

– Examples of Foreshadowing

Requirements

• At least 8 “stops” on the map

• For each “stop”– Scene Title

– Visual

– Textual evidence showcasing elements of Naturalism

– Textual evidence that foreshadows the end of the story

YOUR GRADE• Includes at least 8 “stops”

• Scene Titles

• Visuals accurately reflect story

• Overall neatness, design, quality of map

• Choice of textual evidence for elements of Naturalism

• Choice of textual evidence for examples of foreshadowing

• In-text citations

10 pts

5 pts

10 pts

15 pts

25 pts

25 pts

10 pts