"To Build a Fire"

Paper Summary:

Jack London's story "To Build a Fire" tells the tale of a newcomer to the Alaskan wilderness who is determined to make his way through the frozen Yukon in the depths of winter. This paper examines the story, looking in particular at the reasons why the traveler died in the story. London's disturbing story illustrates the difficulty of traveling in adverse conditions, but more, it shows the foolishness of not listening to advice from people who have more experience and knowledge.

From the Paper:

"London continually uses the landscape and lavish description to show the beauty of the country, and how the beauty hides mortal danger. He writes, "The furrow of the old sled trail was plainly visible, but a dozen inches of snow covered the marks of the last runners" (London). Consistently, the man ignores the signs around him, and the dangers of what he is doing. The sled trails are old because no one else would travel during this kind of weather."

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