Jack London - Literary Movement

Jack London was a huge influence on Naturalism. Naturalism itself is a type of literature that tries to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings. London used a scientific way to create his stories. He studied humans and how they are governed by their passions and instincts as well as forces such as heredity and environment. Jack London was one of the primary practitioners of Naturalism. His first story, The Sea Wolf, made his introduction as a naturalistic author in America. People viewed it as rude and cruel, it was a type of story the general public wasn’t use to. The fact that someone wanted to write about a shipwrecked sailor that was rescued only to be enslaved and tortured was unreal to people. It started Jack London’s career of naturalism. In To Build a Fire, London wrote a detailed story of a foolish man freezing to death in the Yukon. This type of writing was his signature style. One of the most known stories from London is Call of the Wild. It is about a dog who either has to fight or die while being kidnapped and then escaping to live among the wolves. Jack London became an icon in literature history. He started a milestone of naturalistic texts soon to be followed by many others including Ernest Hemmingway, John Steinbeck, and Upton Sinclair. They all claimed him as their influence and branched off helping naturalism grow. Jack London was a man of many mysteries. People only know him for his stories, which do reflect his lifestyle, and concluded that he was a very troubled man. Jack London left something behind more important that his publishing’s though. His view of life such as Socialism and Naturalism opened a door to many current philosophies and viewpoints. More so Jack London will remain a part of American literature forever.