Question

How does Jack London’s essay “The Human Drift" compare to other naturalist literary works, such as Stephen Crane’s short story “The Open Boat"?

Answer 1

“The Open Boat” was inspired by Crane’s real-life experiences and his struggles of being stranded in the Atlantic Ocean. The most notable difference between “The Open Boat” and “The Human Drift” is the structure. While the former is a short story and is based on the writer’s experiences, the latter is an essay comprising an argument and factual details. 

“The Open Boat” makes use of elements such as diction, imagery, and pacing that help the reader to experience the same passage of time that the characters do. On the other hand, “The Human Drift” is a persuasive expository text, which makes use of a series of conclusions. These conclusions become premises for further conclusions about social theory and human development from prehistoric times to modern times.

These works also share some similarities. Like London’s “The Human Drift,” Crane’s story is interspersed with naturalist elements. In both of these works, the most important theme is nature. 

Crane personifies nature, giving the sea divine and animalistic qualities. The story establishes the harsh fact that man is only mortal and at the mercy of nature’s whims. In ”The Open Boat,” the narrator portrays the changing moods of nature by describing the sea in different ways. Early in the story, the sea “snarls” and “bucks like a bronco.” Later, the sea merely “paces to and fro.”

Similarly, in London’s “The Human Drift,” the focus is on nature. Man and all his wanderings are fueled by the basic need to satiate hunger. Thus men and entire civilizations drift and eventually settle where nature lets them survive, as shown in these lines:

Man, like any other animal, has roved over the earth seeking what he might devour; and not romance and adventure, but the hunger-need, has urged him on his vast adventures.