The naturalism literary period started in the late 1800s, around 1880, and ended sometime in the 1900s. Émile Zola was a well-known supporter of naturalism and was a novelist. Along with Zola, Jack London also supported naturalism and was a naturalistic writer. The Naturalistic writers studied the actions and responses of human beings, which is known as our instinct. In the short story “To Build a Fire,” Jack London incorporated the beliefs of naturalism, which included the instinct to survive, the human beast-like characteristics, and the inner conflict between man and himself. The character was determined to reach Henderson Creek; his mind was so focused on the task at hand that he disregarded the extremity of the danger he would face
