A COMPARISON OF THE ATTITUDES TOWARD NATURE IN LONDON’S “TO BUILD A FIRE” AND CATHER’S “NEIGHBOUR ROSICKY” /LONDON’IN “ATEŞ YAKMAK” VE CATHER’IN “KOMŞUM ROSICKY” ADLI ÖYKÜLERİNDE DOĞAYA KARŞI OLAN TUTUMLARIN BİR MUKAYESESİ

Abstract

Toward the end of the 19th century, the vision of nature shifted from its romantic idealization to an understanding of it as a harsh and indifferent being. This shift is compatible with the change from Romanticism to Realism/Naturalism. As a naturalist, Jack London (1876-1916) deals with a character’s prejudiced and hostile stance to nature in “To Build a Fire” (1908). On the other hand, Willa Cather (1873-1947) adopts a Romantic/ecological point of view to nature in “Neighbour Rosicky” (1928), though Romanticism had lost its impact in her time. The works as representatives of opposite movements can be regarded as opposite in terms of their perceptions of nature, too. In the first, ‘the man’ underestimates the power of nature, the intensity of cold weather and does not establish a positive bond with his dog. At the end, nature with its indifference overcomes him severely. On the contrary, Cather’s protagonist Rosicky is a city-bred man, but chooses to lead a natural and ecological life after thirty-five. He cherishes nature and its components; in return, he is rewarded with spiritual satisfaction. Both stories epitomize the concept of nature by portraying the characters and their casts of mind. This study juxtaposes two opposite works which can be regarded as belonging to two opposite literary trends.