Final answer:
Both Jack London's "The Law of Life" and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat" illustrate the Naturalistic view of humans facing an indifferent nature. Both stories highlight the struggle for survival in hostile environments, underscoring the human insignificance against the vast natural world.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jack London's "The Law of Life" and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat" share common themes that are emblematic of Naturalistic fiction. These include human beings at the mercy of the indifferent natural world and the idea that concepts of justice and mercy are irrelevant in the face of nature's overwhelming forces.
In "The Open Boat", Crane presents a group of shipwreck survivors struggling against the sea's impersonal forces, realizing that nature is indifferent to their survival. This showcases Naturalism's belief that human lives are governed by forces beyond their control. The men ultimately confront the possibility that, despite their best efforts to survive, they may fail due to the sheer power of the environment.
Similarly, in "The Law of Life", London tells the story of an old man abandoned by his tribe to die because he can no longer keep up with them, an example of the harsh realities of life in unforgiving natural conditions. Both stories feature characters who come to understand their insignificance in the face of nature's magnitude, underlining the Naturalist view of an indifferent universe.