Naturalism

Nature is everything, there is nothing beyond it  Nature is also termed as materialism. Naturalism is
concerned with “natural self” or “real self”. It contends that the ultimate reality is matter, and not mind
or spirit. The material world is the only real world. It is the only reality. It believes that everything
comes from nature and returns to nature. For naturalists nature is everything.

To Build a Fire (summary)

"To Build a Fire" is a tale of a man who travels alone though the deadly terrain of the
Yukon trail in below freezing temperatures with his dog and he believes so much in his
capabilities and ignores the dog instincts and becomes victim to the unyielding and
unforgiving power of nature.

Analysis
According to a writer, the man is a newcomer in the land and this was his
first winter. He was quick and alert to the things in life, but not about their
significance. To build a fire tells us that the man in the story does not
respect the forces of nature that how cruel it may be. As during his journey
he falls through the snow into water and get himself wet halfway to the
knees. After that he builds a fire in order to dry his clothes but he builds it
under a tree by forgetting that he is building a fire under a tree that is
covered with snow. Soon the tree branch drops a load of snow on the fire
because of its heat.
In naturalism man is pitted against natural forces that man is under the
influence of certain forces that could be
Natural
Biological
Environmental
Genetic
Social/economic.
Because nature operates according to its own patterns and principles.
Not last but least he realizes that he might die, he begins to get wild
thoughts and thinks that how he could keep his body and hand warms and
then we again see the power of nature that he cannot kill the dog to keep
his hand and body warm not because the dog is his friend but because he
could not grasp a knife in his hands, because of cold. Soon he realizes that
he cannot compete with the nature and accept his death (hence everything
comes from nature and belongs to the nature ) (Life is not a matter of
holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well (author)). The dog
doesn’t understand what has happened and sniffs the man. Then he
realizes that the man is dead now and then he follow his instinct to where
he knows there are other men. One thing more the dog does not want to go
to trek. He senses fear. He hesitates to make journey. He was well aware
of the situation, about condition, about the weather but he follow his
master.

Conclusion
Man has a great confidence on himself and he forget about the harsh
reality of weather and also the most important thing that he ignores the
signal given by his dog to him that he don’t have to go to a camp. He
believes so much in his capabilities that he ignores the dog instincts. That
also portrays that the dog has got more sound decisions as compared to a
man.

Quotes (to build a fire)

1. He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things,
and not in the significances. 
2. He (the man) was a bit frightened. 
(He did not listen to his inner voice and moved against the
power of nature)
3. The trouble with him was that he was unable to imagine .
4. The animal was depressed by the tremendous cold. It knew that it
was no time for travelling. Its instinct told it a truer tale than was told
to the man by the man's judgment.
This quotes tells us that dog’s decision is correct instead of a man in
the story.