Essay Jack Londons To Build a Fire - 992 Words

Jack Londons To Build a Fire Nature is always pushing man to his limits. When man heeds the warning signs that nature has to offer and those warnings of other men, he is most likely to conquer nature. When he ignores these warnings, nature is sure to defeat man. To build a fire is a prime example of this scenario. In the short story, â€Å"To Build a Fire† by Jack London, an inexperienced traveler in the Yukon travels alone with his dog, even though it is ill advised to do so. The man is strong and smart but nature humbled him during his quest to reach his friends. The man’s inexperience with traveling in the cold subzero temperatures doomed him from the beginning, but his strong focus under extreme pressure and his keen sense of†¦show more content†¦He had the ‘book smarts’ about walking through the Yukon but he lacked the ‘street smarts.’ He may lack experience and imagination in traveling in subzero temperatures but his calm nature allows him to stay focused, e ven when the fire is snuffed out by the falling snow from the tree and he thought of it as hearing his own death sentence. â€Å"It was as though he had just heard his own sentence of death. For a moment he sat and stared at the spot where the fire had been. Then he grew very calm.† (London, 529) Furthermore, when he is sure he will lose his toes and fingers, he does not lose sight of his most important goal, surviving. London tells how, even when in grave danger, the man regroups without panic and strong belief in his own abilities. â€Å"Well, it was up to him to build the fire over again, and this second time there must be no failure. Even if he succeeded, he would most likely lose some toes† and â€Å"Such were his thoughts, but he did not sit and think them.† (London, 529) When his inexperience exposes itself to him, he remembers the old-timers words of wisdom. The man did not realize the prudence behind the old-timer’s words of wisdom. He ignored the old-timers cautions and dangers of traveling alone, making him foolish and naà ¯ve to his situation. â€Å"That man from Sulphur Creek had spoken the truth when telling how cold it sometimes got in the country. And he had laughed at him at the time!† (London, 528) The man blinds himself with hisShow MoreRelatedNaturalism In Jack Londons To Build A Fire1113 Words   |  5 Pages Analysis of â€Å"To Build a Fire† Jomar Peralta English 101 Glendale Career College  To Build a Fire The story â€Å"To Build a Fire† narrates about a man who decides to travel through freezing temperatures of Yukon and becomes a victim of the unforgiving power of nature. The temperatures reading 170 below the freezing point, the man decides to light a fire. Having several attempts to light the fire, he decides to run around like a â€Å"chicken with its head cut off† and finally comes to rest to meetRead MoreNaturalism In Jack Londons To Build A Fire828 Words   |  4 PagesThe main theme of â€Å"To Build a Fire† by Jack London is naturalism. Jack London has his own experiences in the Youkan that have been said to have links to the story To Build a Fire and his naturalistic viewpoints that have even influenced Ernest Hemmingway. This story was written in the early 1900’s describing a man and his dog who are new to the Yukon. The man and his dog plan on a nine-hour hike in -75 ° F weather. He is warned not to travel alone but the man thinking he is a bove nature takes on theRead MoreConflict In Jack Londons To Build A Fire1143 Words   |  5 Pagesbeat them. In Jack London’s short story called â€Å"To Build a Fire,† the main character conflicts with mother nature, who keeps tearing him down at every possible point. The main character, who is only referred to as the Man, is battling his way alone through the harsh temperatures of the Yukon. On this journey he runs into many obstacles and challenges. The Man does not listen to the advice he is given, leading to his inevitable death at the end. The most notable theme London builds up and controlsRead MoreJack Londons To Build A Fire Essay1025 Words   |  5 Pagesthough was one who portrayed himself through dozens of short stories. His name is Jack London. Jack London is a writer who shows the conflict between Nature versus Man in his writings and supports this theme through his work, â€Å"To Build a Fire.† Jack was born on January 12, 1876 and died on Nov ember 22, 1916. He is best known for his nature novels depicting how nature can sometimes be so powerful that it overcomes man. Jack was deserted by his father when he was eleven and was mainly raised by his motherRead MoreAnalysis Of Jack Londons To Build A Fire982 Words   |  4 PagesIn Jack London’s short story, To Build a Fire, there is an unnamed man who is trying to make it back to his camp in the freezing weather of the Yukon. The man travels only with a sled dog and himself in the 50 degree below zero weather. Throughout the short story, the man struggles to survive as he soon realizes the temperature is actually severely dangerous at 75 degrees below zero. In the end, the man ultimately dies before successfully reaching his camp due to not being able to build a fire onRead More Jack Londons To Build a Fire Essay example1103 Words   |  5 PagesJack Londons To Build a Fire In his short story entitled To Build a Fire, Jack London portrays a bitter conflict between man and nature. The nature in this story is the harsh environment of the Yukon Trail. London chose to use nature as the antagonist, almost as a force working against the main character in his struggle for survival. London accomplished this personification of nature by giving the environment many human characteristics, by creating numerous thingsRead MoreEssay on No Accidents in Jack Londons To Build a Fire2550 Words   |  11 Pages As the title implies, Jack Londons 1908 short story contains within its narrative a literal set of sequential directions on how To Build a Fire. London extends this sequential conceit to his fatidic vision of the universe. Unlike the dog in the story, who can rely on its pure-bred arctic instinct as it navigates through the dangerous tundra, the anonymous man possesses a duller, myopic instinct which is unable foresee the consequentiality of the environment. This instinctual flaw inRead More Naturalism in Jack Londons To Build a Fire Essay1276 Words   |  6 PagesNaturalism in Jack Londons To Build a Fire This essay has problems with format When Jack London wrote To Build a Fire he embraced the idea of naturalism because it mirrored the events of daily life. Naturalism showed how humans had to be wary at every corner because at anytime death could be there, waiting for them to make a mistake and forfeit their lives. He used naturalism, the most realistic literary movement, to show how violent and uncaring nature really is and how no matter whatRead MoreAnalysis Of Jack Londons Short Story : To Build A Fire891 Words   |  4 PagesJack London’s short story, â€Å"To Build a Fire† follows a man through his short-lived journey through the Yukon as he attempts to reach camp. â€Å"The man† heads into the blistering cold not thinking much of the temperature. Eventually, the man must stop to build a fire to warm himself up and eat his lunch, but he does not stay as long as he should have. Without warning, the man falls into the water, now he must stop once more to make a fire or he will freeze to death. After making the fire, snow fallsRead More The Importance of Setting in Jack Londons To Build A Fire Essay1460 Words   |  6 PagesThe Importance of Setting in Jack Londons To Build A Fire      Ã‚  Ã‚   In To Build a Fire by Jack London, the setting plays a significant role throughout the entire short story.   Jack London uses certain techniques to establish the atmosphere of the story.   By introducing his readers to the setting, prepares them for a tone that is depressed and   frightening.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Isolated by an environment of frigid weather and doom, the author shows us how the main character of the story