Comparing Jack London And Stephen Crane

McCandless had many literary heroes such as Jack London, Christopher Johnson McCandless really admired Jack London since he was a child. “London’s fervent condemnation of capitalist society, his glorification of the primordial world, his championing of the great unwashed” all of it mirrored McCandless passions. Both McCandless and Jack London had the same experiences and same point of view. Jack London actually left his family, and he came back home and wrote a book about his journey.

Stephen Crane was born on November 1st, 1871. He wrote several books such as Maggie and Georges Mother, but The Red Badge of Courage was by far his best work and biggest seller. In 1900 he became ill and was nearly broke so he couldn’t afford his multiple health treatments. On June 5th, 1900 he died and left his belongings to Cora Taylor, a close friend.

    Edgar Allan Poe once said, “With me, poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion.” When stressed, writing was his coping mechanism, and through observation, many grasp how much death encompassed Poe. Although not appreciated during his era, he revolutionized mystery with mesmerizing story plots that yield suspense, but also makes readers question his stability. Most importantly, unlike those famous during his lifetime who are now forgotten, Poe’s legacy will live on forever. Moreover, throughout life, Poe experienced catastrophe, and because of this, writing became his creative outlet.

“The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane is a short story included in The Norton Introduction to Literature. In it, we embark on the journey of four men, whose ship has sunk and are now adrift. The characters fight for survival throughout the whole tale, trying to withstand nature. As the story passes, they realize that nature is indifferent and uncaring. Moreover, they begin to question the existence of God. Ultimately, three of the men survive and one of them dies. Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” shows the struggle of men attempting to understand nature and desiring to survive against this invincible and indifferent force. I will analyze literary elements of character, plot, and symbol, using Literary Naturalism to demonstrate this constant conflict between man and nature that plays out in “The Open Boat.”

     Stephen Crane's purpose in writing The Red Badge of Courage was to dictate the pressures faced by the prototypical American soldier in the Civil War.  His intent was accomplished by making known the horrors and atrocities seen by Unionist Henry Fleming during the Battle of Chancellorsville, and the conflicts within himself.

Jack London and Stephen Crane were both well-known literary naturalists who died at relatively early ages. Despite having lived such a short life, Jack London lived a full life. He has achieved wide popularity abroad, with his work being translated into more than fifty languages, as well as having written fifty literary works in eighteen years. His stories in the naturalistic mode still continue to influence writers today. Stephen Crane was also an accomplished writer as well as a poet. He was among the first to express in writing a new way of looking at the world. Although Crane is also seen as one of the first American naturalistic writers, a Symbolist, and Imagist, the achievements which

The authors feelings about death too are different. Stephen Crane, through Henry Fielding, seemed to find death something to fear because it is unknown, but he also realized that it is something one must face regardless of the uncertainty. Henry was able to stand tall the second battle he

The power of nature is not something humans can overcome. Nature shows its power through harsh weather, and we must be smart about it. The message Jack London creates in this piece of writing is that pride cannot overcome nature; nature will have its way. The man shows too much pride to listen to others about the dangerous temperatures but only listens to himself as it costs him his life. In “To Build a Fire” Jack London shows us how dangerous it is to assume victory in the the battle of man v. nature.

In Jack London’s story, To Build a Fire, there is a definite theme of the relationship between man and nature, knowledge and instinct. The man in the story sets off on a trek through the Yukon territory which is known for it’s insanely sub-freezing temperatures. London portrays naturalism in his themes. He describes nature as a brutal force that has no feeling toward humanity’s well being, happiness, or even existence. He also shows how the dog that accompanied the man throughout his trek uses his instincts to survive, while the man used his knowledge.

	Crane began his writing career in poverty, hoping that it would inspire him to write. Along with his beliefs in Darwinism, he drew much if his influences from his religious beliefs (Colvert 12:108). Famous writers such as Hamlin Garland, William Howells, Rudyard Kipling, and Tolstoy also influenced him (12:101). The first of his stories was Maggie, which was very unpopular ("Stephen" n.p.). His second novel, The Red Badge of Courage, earned Crane international fame. The Red Badge of Courage showed Crane’s views of life as warfare in a book that is basically plotless. It is about a young soldier, Henry Fleming, and the emotions that he experiences during wartime ("Stephen" n.p.). Crane’s most famous work of poetry was Black Riders, which appears to have little or no outside influences (Quartermain 54:106). Black Riders was also an attempt by Crane to get rid of his thought that God was vengeful and wrathful (Colvert 12:101).

Jack London once stated, “I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.” To me this quote is suggesting that we should try more things and not just do the same things everyday. While some may disagree with Jack London quote, I relate it because I feel like my life is pretty bland and sometimes I just need to change it and add some new colors into my life. I also think that people who enjoys extreme sports think the same way as Jack London so that’s why they do such activities.

Jack London’s use of descriptive language is great. You can really make out what the characters look like. For example “the centipede" he describes him as a man who is lanky and tall which is the reason why he is nicknamed the centipede. Also there is "the porous" he is names that for is ability to swim really well in water. He is also a short man.

Born Jon Griffiths Chaney in San Francisco in 1876, he was abandoned shortly after birth by his father. Therefore, London took the name of his stepfather, John London. Forced to leave school at the age of fourteen and find work because of his family's poor financial situation, he joined the Klondike gold rush of 1898, returning to San Francisco broke, but with an abundance of memories and ideas. During his travels to the Klondike regions, Jack London pondered the importance of humanity. He realized, as important as humans thing they are, the human race is not at all significant. During the late eighteenth century and the early nineteenth century, Jack London struggled with leaving behind traditional attitudes in an effort to find a new

Stephan Crane and Jack London incorporate naturalism, title significance and representation effectively through the relationship between God, man and nature, and life and death. Naturalism represents our individual control over our destiny and our actions as determined and limited through the natural world, specifically humanity. Stephan Crane and Jack London depict descriptive images of human despair illustrated by distressing environments and environmental forces within in their stories.

In history there has been many writers. Jack London is one of those writers with a very special style. Lots people tend to overlook the style in writing, not focusing on its impact on meaning. Jack London has developed his own type of style which is deeply shown through their personal writing. In London's stories "Love of Life" and "To Build a Fire", he uses poetic style, multiple literary movements in his writing and tons of themes throughout his stories.