To Build a Fire

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Nov 24, 2024

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Running head: TO BUILD A FIRE 1 To Build a Fire Student Name: Robert Asika Institution: Berkeley College Course: Writing Through Literature Professor: Helena Ross Date: 03/29/20202

TO BUILD A FIRE 2 To Build a Fire Summary and setting “To Build a Fire” by Jack London is a story that follows a man and his dog as they travel through the wilderness. At the beginning of the story, the man is looking forward to a mining camping trip with his friends. He dreams about the delicious bacon and experiencing the warmth of campfires. Despite receiving a warning from an old man, he proceeds with his trip. At first, the man thought that he was aware of how the weather would be, being cold and having no sun exposure. However, as he advances with his journey, he becomes acutely aware of how cold it actually is. His fingertips began to feel numb while his saliva froze before it hit the ground. To mitigate the cold he was feeling, he took a break to build a fire. While sitting, he though himself very brave as he was the only one to make a journey to Yukon that no one was willing to. His dog, on the other hand, was wondering if they would continue in the unbearable cold. When the man woke up to continue the trip, the dog did not burg. The man had to force it to leave the warm fire. As they were walking, the man broke through the ice and froze his leg. He proceeded to build another fire while reminiscing on the old times. Unfortunately, he had built the fire under a spruce tree and the warmth of the fire caused the ice on the tree to melt onto the fire, thus putting it out. He attempted to build a fire again. He took out his box of matches. He could not even take a single match from the box because of his very cold fingers. What he did instead was to take a single match from the box by means of his teeth. However hard he tried to light it, he could not. Having no other choice, he tried to light all the matches simultaneously. Consequently, he successfully built a fire. He no sooner did a stupid thing than he built a fire. Because of his carelessness, he scattered them, and the fire was pathetically gone. By this time, his fingers had gotten so numb that he couldn’t build another fire. To get warm, the man thought of using the dog’s body as a cover from the cold. He tried to kill the dog but failed. His attempts to kill the dog failed several times more, and he eventually gave up. Characters The man The man comes off as being very stubborn and set on his way. Despite the warning of the old man, who undoubtedly has more experience, the man still goes on with his trip. If the man is considered as the main protagonist of the story, nature is the antagonist as it causes conflict with

TO BUILD A FIRE 3 the man. Aside from the direct conflict facing the man, he is also battling himself as he feels regretful for having ignored the advice if the old man. His stubborn actions are therefore used as a tool to prove that his decisions were right and make himself feel better. The dog The dog, in this story, is very loyal and faithful to its owner despite the danger he outs it in. As in the character development of the man, no significant transformation is made and they remain stoic (Flinck, 2018)). The old man He serves as a cautionary tool. He offers advice to the main character, but it is ignored. Even though he has a small appearance, he acts as an instigator for the main character’s regret- filled journey. Tone and Style The story is delivered in a candid and stoic style lacking emotion. Everything is told in a factual and objective manner most of the time. In some sections of the story, the narrator is subjective and judges the man for his actions. The setting is well described allowing the reader to conjure up vivid imagery of the scene. Symbolism The journey of the man could be interpreted as plans and actions conceived by humans on a daily basis. The man makes a plan and is set to follow it through. The old man acts as a caution. The caution can come from those who are more experienced or have gone through the same thing. As in life, the younger people or dreamers often ignore the advice of the more experienced (Yang, 2016). Nature represents the path to the goal we aim to achieve. This means the journey can sometimes be hard. The fire represents hope or the will to continues. Fire is essential in this particular journey as it replenishes the warmth lost and allows for further endurance. Fire is important as with its absence the man is plunged into a desperate state willing to sacrifice his loyal friend. Themes There are various themes in the story. The main one that comes out is persistence. When the man first starts to experience an extreme environment, he is still hopeful that he has the capabilities to face the journey. Further along the journey, the man continues separately utilizing

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TO BUILD A FIRE 4 means and methods that he would otherwise not use to survive. In the beginning, it is his optimism and confidence that fuels him. However, the desperation to live becomes his main goal (Yang, 2016).

TO BUILD A FIRE 5 Reference London, J. (2019). To build a fire . Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing. Flinck, A. (2018). THE WATCHING DOG The Animal Gaze in Jack London’s “To Build a Fire”. Yang, L. (2016). Conquest and reverence——analysis of 《 To Build a Fire 》 from the perspective of narrative themes. Journal of Jiamusi Vocational Institute , (10), 69.

To Build a Fire

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