Caden Watters 

Student Background 

My Name is Caden Watters and I'm 11th grade student at Lincoln High School. I am currently in the schools Journalism project and this portfolio will be used to show off the work that I have worked on this school year.

Different 
​types of Camera Shots 

This year I have leaned and used different types of camera shots 

 Writing 

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Caden Watters 
Mr. Schofield 
CP English 11
6 May 2022 
Trying to Build a Fire 
Naturalism was the philosophical belief that everything arises from natural properties and causes, from 1865 to 1900. Many people faced dangerous environmental challenges during this time period. During this time period the theme of Naturalism was used to create storytelling with many authors using it into their stories. In these stories the main characters have challenges when it comes to the natural environment that surrounds them. They show this by the characters that they create and the difficult challenges they face in the natural dangers affecting them in a negative way in these stories. In “To Build a Fire”, Jack London illustrates the aspects of Naturalism when the main character faces challenges of the environment around the Man shapes his character and the dangers of his pride. 
In the short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, he shows the aspects of Naturalism with his storytelling and how he reflects that aspect on the main character. In the story the main character , the unmanned man , travels with his dog in the frozen Yukon wilderness. Throughout his travels the environment around him shapes him into his decision making and continues on his journey instead of stopping. This key idea in the short story goes back to the ideas of Naturalism and how the challenges one faces in such an environment can lead to danger. One particular example of this in the short story is when the man continues on his journey throughout the Yukon, even when others told him he should stop for his own good. This leads him to get bhis food stuck in a frozen stream with only the dog with him. “That was why he had shied in such panic. He had felt the give under his feet and heard the crackle of a snow-hidden ice-skin. And to get his feet wet in such a temperature meant trouble and danger.” (London 12) You can see how the man in that situation was very nervous and in a panic being in severe danger. Again relating to Naturalism and how the wehetaher elements caused him to push himself to do more than his body could handle and he paid the price for it as he would end up dying because of it. “You were right, old hoss; you were right,” the man mumbled to the old-timer of Sulphur Creek.” (paragraph 39) At the end of the story the man realizes that the others were right and it was too late for him to be saved and survive. 
The man in the story is given multiple opportunities to stop his journey and return to a safe shelter with the right amount of supplies he may need to stay safe from the coldness of the Yukon wilderness. The reason for this is because this endangers the man's pride and the way he views himself. If he listens and stops his journey he feels like he has let himself down and his knowledge is weak. This relates to naturalism once again because a part of the main idea of his is for the natural elements of the weather make the character want to give up , but does not to still have the pride in oneself. The man in “To Build a Fire” shows this while he is on the journey. The temperature was so low all of his facial hair began to freeze. He was determined to keep on going as he would walk several miles an hour in the harsh weather environments. “He held on through the level stretch of woods for several miles, crossed a wide flat, and dropped down a bank to the frozen bed of a small stream. This was Henderson Creek, and he knew he was ten miles from the forks.” (London 8) During the time of Naturalism, things like this would happen a lot because people would try and make it though, but in the end they could not just like the man in this story. 
Through the story “To Build a Fire” Jack London really focuses on the main idea of Naturalism and how he uses it to create good storytelling. But this was not just a random topic London had chosen to write about. In fact when he was younger he had faced the challenges of naturalism just like the man in the story did. In a way you can make the inception that the man in the story is the same as Jack London. For example when London was almost 17 he sailed on the sealing schooner Sophia Sutherland as an able seaman. As he faced the challenges of the nature around him on this hiatus. In a better description “Hunting seals in the stormy North Pacific, London once again had to become a man, this time with the seasoned and gritty sailors he found himself among.” (Reeseman 6) As you can tell London was an adventurous type and facing the challenges that came from Naturalism. In fact from this one expercense he was inspired to write his first published story, "A Typhoon Off the Coast of Japan" (1893), which won him an award. This one event would lead to London creating over 50 nonfiction novels and over 100 story stories. After all that he was still not satisfied and continued to go out on these journeys to gather more information to  make his stories more detailed and more enjoyable to read. The challenges he faced were very dangerous and could have led to death. But he felt that if he was to stop and not go on these journeys anymore it would test his pride as a man. This is very similar to a character that London would later on create the man in the 1908 short story “To Build a Fire”. Reflecting on the fact that Jack London used real life experiences and put that into the man in the story.  
Naturalism readly became popular around the world in the ways of literature from the mid 1880 to the early 1940. During this time Naturalism meant a literary movement where it was used in many stories with the theme of nature and how the characters face these challenges of naturalism. During this time many famous authors rose to fame using the theme of Naturalism in their stories. The main idea for these authors was “By highlighting natural forces, the Naturalists question the possibility of human free will. Their characters, rather, often appear to be defined by their environments and genes, that is, powers beyond their control.” (naturalism in American history 6) That was the main theme or idea that the authors had in their storytelling. Most commonly naturalism is viewed as uncontrollably forces by nature that the characters are stuck in and trying to get out.  Or in some cases like Jack London used in this story “to Build a fire” to keep going on so his pride is not taken away if he stops. 
Naturalism was a philosophical belief back around 1880’s to 1940’s that everything arises from the natural properties around oneself. The climates that oneself faces can lead to questionable decision making in that particular moment in time. These challenging climates also may test a man's pride of masculinity by continuing on his journey. This is a common theme in “To Build a Fire” by Jack London as the man in the story keeps going on his journey and does not take any advice from others; he only believes in what he wants to believe and not others. This leads to his fate as the conditions are too much for him and he ends up dead because of his inability to listen to others and control the nature around him. This is very similar to a character that I read about this year in class and that was a man named Chris McCandless in the story “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer. Chris is similar to the man because nothing fears them and doesn't listen to anyone trying to get in their way. Both characters end up dying because of these choices and testing there pride as men. You can say nautrilami had a big part in both of the stories, both facing the freezely cold temperatures of the wilderness they were traveling. All in all Nationalism played a big part in the literary era of its time, especially in “To Build a Fire” by Jack London. 





Works citied 

Randolph, Richard. “Naturalism in American Literary Realism and Regionalism, 1865–1914.” Realism and Regionalism, 1865?1914, Facts On File, 2010. Bloom's Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=11311&itemid=WE54&articleId=477065. Accessed 5 May 2022. https://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/12?articleId=477065&q=naturalism 
Reesman, Jeanne Campbell. “London, Jack.” Critical Companion to Jack London, Facts On File, 2011. Bloom's Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=11311&itemid=WE54&articleId=475029. Accessed 14 Apr. 2022. https://online.infobase.com/HRC/LearningCenter/Details/12/?articleId=475029 

“To Build a Fire”:

London, Jack. “To Build a Fire.” Fiction 100, edited by James Pickering, Prentice Hall, 1994, 
420-35.

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More writing 

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Celtic Pride
The NBA playoffs have officially tipped off with most of the first round matchups having concluded. One of the favorites to win the finals heading into the second round is the Boston Celtics, as they are coming off a sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, who were the preseason favorites to win the championship. The Celtics have the second best odds to win with +350 only behind the 3pt shooting Golden State Warriors at +290. 
But this was not always the case through the season as they were a middle of the pack team midway through the 2021-22 season. On January 6th they were 18-21 and 11th in the Eastern Conference. Many people were doubting the team and questioned if this team was built for a deep playoff run. After this slow start the team has gone on to have a historic midseason turn around. They went 33-10 in their last 43 games to finish out the season with a record of 51-31 which was good for 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference and 6th overall in the entire NBA.
The key turn around comes from the defensive mindset of first year Head Coach Ime Udaka. On this Celtics Team there are many key players that contribute to the success of the team. These players know their roles and do them well. The team is led by one of the best young duos in the NBA with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The two of them are amazing on the offensive side and are transferring into defensive stars as well. Speaking of stars on the defensive end, they have multiple great players like the 21-22 DPOTY Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and Grant Williams who also contribute on offense. Key addictions were acquired at the trade detail. Those players being guard from the San Antonio Spurs Derrick White and former Celtics returning for his second time with the team Center from the Houston Rockets Daniel Theis. 
The Boston Celtics are looking to capture title number 18 and break the tie for most championships with 17, as they are currently tied with the Los Angeles Lakers. The last time the Celtics won the NBA Championships was in 2008 as they won in 6 Games as they beat the late Kobe Bryant led Lakers team. Another team that has a real shot to win the NBA Finals are the defending champions Milwaukee Bucks and are led by The 2x MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. All in all this NBA playoffs this year is going to be one of the best in recent memory with stadiums being back to full capacity and fans ready to cheer and support the NBA teams, hoping that they will succeed and win the 2021-22 NBA championship. 

Videos Created 

Durning this year in the Journalism class I was in i had the chance to make videos, whether it being about someone or just a simple box pop around the school    

My favorite thing in class this year was... 

Leaning different camera angles and video edited. I also liked to write
​the stories and also the box pops I would do around the school. 

About me

I am on the Lincoln high school, football team a
nd am having lots of fun, not only on the team but at school too. I really like journalism and will most likely carry it on in the future to college and hopefully my career.