Jack London To Build A Fire Analysis

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To Build a Fire, by Jack London, is a story about a man in the Yukon Alaska area during the middle of winter. Rumors of gold incentivised sp many inexperienced travelers to the far cold north in search for gold, an environment not everybody can handle. The story depicts the events of such a traveler who attempts to traverse the cold barren wasteland all on his own. In this story, the author shows how sometimes it’s best to take the advice of others, and illustrates how ignorance and overconfidence can be harmful and potentially even deadly. As the story begins, the main character displays his ignorance of facts right from the beginning. The traveler decides he wants to travel across the cold land to another camp, despite the fact that the weather conditions are abysmal. It’s estimated that it is at least 50 degrees …show more content…
Even the most basic winter protection was not fully utilized, quickly causing “regret that he had not devise a nose-strap of sorts,” and then writing it off that losing both cheeks or your nose is “never serious” (London 1115). Although it could be argued that the main character did not know any better from previous experiences, on the other hand some might think it would be obvious than one would at the very least properly cover up the exposed parts of the body. The author displays early on how ignorance of basic facts in exchange for overconfidence can quickly cause a huge amount of problems during dire situations. There are many places in the story where the traveler ignores advice from those who offer their expertise. It’s recalled that “a man from Sulphur Creek had spoken the truth when telling how cold it got in the country,” but still he chose to embark on a journey during one of the coldest days of the winter. As the story continues on, a snowy bank covered up running water under the river, causing the traveling man to fall into the cold river. The cold numbing his limbs, he remembers another piece of advice from the