Naturalism and Ecological Vision in Jack London’s The Valley of the Moon

The aim of this paper is to analyze the relationship between naturalism and ecological vision in Jack London’s The Valley of the Moon. London reveals his naturalism by underscoring the negative aspects of Social Darwinism and capitalism in this novel. And he demonstrates his scathing critical consciousness and acute diagnosis of human life and society through his exploration of the values of nature and civilization. But, he tries to show that human beings have free will to choose and act in life. although he accentuates the significance of human instincts and natural and societal environments like other naturalists. In The Valley of the Moon, Saxon and Billy, the protagonists, abandon their lives in the big city that is filled with violence and poverty in order to find a happy and pleasant life. They leave for a utopian and ideal world in the countryside like the journey of the Pilgrim Fathers. They recognize the true happiness of living in an ecologically balanced natural environment rather than in a civilized and commercialized city like Oakland. In conclusion, London emphasizes that although we are ruled by many kinds of environments in our society, we must recuperate ecological consciousness to recover our true happiness.