Themes In Jack London's To Build A Fire

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Themes in “To Build a Fire”
Finding the theme of a short story or an essay is an important element when trying to accurately understand the message the author is trying to covey. The short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London is about a man who travels through the cold Yukon wilderness without any knowledge about neither the land, nor the dangers that lie ahead. The man ends up running into several issues that cost him his life. There are many important themes in the short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London. A few of the most important themes include: being unprepared in certain situations can be dangerous, never giving up on yourself is an important concept when trying to survive, and that having too much pride can result in personal destruction.
One prominent theme in the short story “To Build a Fire” is that being uneducated and unprepared in certain situations can quickly become dangerous or even deadly. In the beginning of the story we learn that the main character is new to the frozen lands of Yukon, and that he has absolutely no idea what awaits him on his journey. The narrator sets the …show more content…
The reader can recognize that the most prominent main ideas include the danger of being unaware and vulnerable in a hazardous situation, the importance of not giving up in a crucial scenario, and the fact that being prideful can often end in self-destruction. The main character in “To Build a Fire” was foolish for believing he could travel through the frozen Yukon on his own without experiencing the repercussions. The man was unable to survive because he refused to face the reality of the situation he was willingly throwing himself in. His lack of responsibility and judgment led him to his downfall. If the main character ever considered accepting some of the advice he was given and took the time to prepare for his journey, he would have safely made it to the camp to see his
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