Question

Which of these sentences from Jack London's "The Human Drift" is an example of naturalist writing?

Answer 1

The most reasonable answer is C<span />

Answer 2

Answer: I would also contend that the right answer is the C) "In the misty younger world we catch glimpses of phantom races, rising, slaying, finding food, building rude civilisations, decaying, falling under the swords of stronger hands, and passing utterly away."

Explanation: Naturalism, as a literary genre, is characterized by a very extreme form of realism, which often stresses the difficulties that humans face in order to survive in an often hostile environment. Determinism is a common and key theme in naturalistic works: individuals attempt to control their fate, but the universe is indifferent to their will and impose its own conditions. In this excerpt, the author is contending that humans have constantly struggled to survive. Some have been stronger than others, but those that have not excelled have fought to no avail and have passed away unnoticed. Naturalistic works tend to be pessimistic and violent, as this excerpt illustrates.