"The Open Boat"

Although autobiographical in nature, "The Open Boat" is a work of fiction; it is often considered a principal example of Naturalism.  So what is Naturalism?  It is the worldview system that regards the natural, material, and physical universe as the only reality.  It is the view that nature is all there is and all basic truths are truths of nature and can be discovered by science.  Naturalism is, therefore, a metaphysical philosophy which rules out supernaturalism.

Writing an essay interpreting a work of literature means that we must probe our initial responses to the work, examining the work closely to find the basis for our thinking.  We do not write for ourselves alone; we also write for others.  We present our interpretations as arguments.  We make a claim about a story, novel, or play just as we would about an issue or problem.  We must provide reasons and evidence.  However, since literary works can be interpreted in different ways, we do not seek to prove that we have discovered the one correct or final meaning. 

From the definition of Naturalism and the above notations on interpreting a literary work, write an essay of 500 to 600 words analyzing how Naturalism appears in “The Open Boat.”  Also, write your own agreement or disagreement with the tenets of Naturalism.