The conflict between man and nature in the short story ‘A la deriva’ by Horacio Quiroga.

Abstract

Every day, we strive to understand the relationship between humans, nature, and animals as living beings. Within our concerns, we identify purposes and even representations of various stories that speak to the origin of life. However, an objective way to connect these essential characteristics is by contrasting the most relevant aspects of the nature that surrounds us. The latter, despite providing essential elements for survival and a prosperous life, is still an unknown world for human beings. Therefore, it is worthwhile to learn more about it and commit to understanding its central role in human life.

Precisely under the premise that connects man with nature, we find the narrative intention of one of Latin America's most prominent modernist and naturalist authors, Horacio Quiroga. His work features countless metaphors and symbols related to nature and its connection to human events. This is precisely one of the main aspects of our research; we aim to demonstrate how this element is used by the author to narrate themes such as death, loneliness, and anguish, among others. To demonstrate this, we will analyze the role of nature in one of the most recognized stories of his career, "A la deriva."