Preview

Jack London's How To Build A Fire

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
277 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Jack London's How To Build A Fire
In the short story “how to build a fire” Jack London is trying to send a message. I think Jack London’s message in this story is to not take things for granted and to always come prepared. In this story a guy goes on a nine hour journey in the Yukon. The temperature is 50 below zero.He should arrive at this campsite at 6:00 to go camping with his friends. On this journey he dies because he can't bear the cold any longer.

I think the guy in the story seems to always take his dog for granted. He should listen to the signs the dog gives him. The dog is letting him know he’s in danger, but the man simply ignores the dog. When Jack London wrote “the dog followed again at his heels, with his tail hanging low.” the man should have known that
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    How Does Jack London Celebrate The Unyielding Yukon Climate?
    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Does Jack London Celebrate The Unyielding Yukon Climate?

    In “To Build a Fire”, by Jack London, the man is unable to withstand the unyielding Yukon climate because of his inability to recognize danger and his lack of imagination. In the beginning of “To Build a Fire”, the man is trekking in the snow covered Yukon hoping to reach camp by nightfall when he spits and it solidifies mid air, due to the below freezing temperatures. When he spits into the air, “There was a sharp, explosive crackle that startled him” (8). The man fails to notice that he should not be traveling in such cold weather, even after his own spittle freezes. Subsequently, the man does not succeed in sustaining a fire because his hands are numb and a piece of moss extinguishes the fire, when he thinks about killing the dog for…

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    An Analysis Of Jack London's To Build A Fire
    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages

    An Analysis Of Jack London's To Build A Fire

    Stories with different theme,plots, mood, tones, and setting is what makes up a story. In the short story “ To Build a Fire” the main focus is setting. Setting is when and where the story takes place. Setting can also have a dramatic affect on characters. For example, the author Jack London has the setting take place in the Yukon Territory, making a dramatic affect on the character. The setting in “To build a Fire” impacts the character mentally, emotionally, and physically.…

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Robert Cromie's The Great Chicago Fire
    • 1282 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Robert Cromie's The Great Chicago Fire

    Robert Cromie, author of The Great Chicago Fire, was very informed on the subject of this book because of his excellent educational background and later careers. Cromie was a graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio. During his college years he mainly studied history. He would later join the Chicago Tribune where he would become a reliable and hardworking reporter and journalist. In 1969, he began writing a column that made him the first staff writer to exhibit a liberal perspective for the Chicago Tribune that was known for its conservative viewpoint (Struzzi). The reason this fact is so important is because it helps readers understand that he was very reliable and many writers trusted Cromie when it came to writing and reporting. He was a very…

    • 1282 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Foreshadowing In Jack London's To Build A Fire
    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Foreshadowing In Jack London's To Build A Fire

    The arctic: a cold, barren, snowy wasteland that almost no one can survive. This landscape could lead to an inevitable end for anyone who tries to conquer it, especially alone. This situation is brought to light through the short story, To Build A Fire by Jack London. In this tale, an unnamed man makes an attempt to go through the snowy setting of Alaska during the freezing season of winter with only a dog by his side. Throughout the book, London builds up suspense and makes people uncertain about how the book will end. However, through the foreshadowing of the rising actions, climax, and repeating details, the inevitable end can be clearly seen.…

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparing Short Story 'How To Build A Fire'
    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Comparing Short Story 'How To Build A Fire'

    In the short story, “How to Build A Fire,” and the short dialogue titled, “ Survival is the Ultimate Goal in World’s Toughest Sled Dog Race,” there are many differences while at the same time there are many similarities. To begin the two have many similarities. One is that they both are in the same general parts of Alaska. In the article about the dog races it says, “Crossing to Dawson City-the old Klondike gold rush town that marks the Quest’s halfway point.” This is where the short story’s, “How to Build A Fire,” setting took place. This means that the articles both take place in the same spots of Alaska in the cold winters. In the same articles (story) there are even more similarities. Another one is that, in both of the articles/stories one of the characters in…

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Fire In Fahrenheit 451
    • 1210 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Fire In Fahrenheit 451

    Ray Bradbury’s protagonist in Fahrenheit 451 revels in seeing things eaten and things blackened by fire. His name is Montag and his world is immersed in flames from the outset, with a blaze so bright before his kerosene spitting python that it blinds. He breathes in fire beneath a flameproof jacket, his burnt-corked countenance expresses fire with a permanent grin “driven back by flame,” while his perfume is the overwhelming stench of kerosene. His existence hinges upon fire so thoroughly that his experiences are defined in its terms. Clarisse, on the other hand, lives under moonlight, atop the grass, and in clothes of white as she radiates fragrances of apricots and strawberries while the wind…

    • 1210 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Jack London Foil
    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Jack London Foil

    Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” is a story about knowing your surroundings, and listening to your instincts, just as the dog in this story did. London’s human character, who is nameless in the story, is more like a foil; with the main character being the harsh landscape of the Yukon, where the story takes place amid -75 below temperatures. The man shows how arrogant and inexperienced he is when he travels to the Yukon Territory without proper clothing, the use of a sled, or companions. He has no camping gear, insufficient food supplies, and his surroundings appear insignificant to him. These vital mistakes not only cost the man anger, but eventually a slow, agonizing death due to stubbornness, and a lack of knowledge in the harsh realities…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Fire In Fahrenheit 451
    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Fire In Fahrenheit 451

    Fire can be used for many purposes, good or bad. It can heat and light up a room or it can completely destroy a room. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, fire is used to destroy things; especially books. In their society reading books is against the law and anyone caught reading a book will get their house burned down with the books and all of their possessions inside. Fire is a recurring theme throughout the book. Bradbury uses fire as a symbol of destruction to demonstrate its power and how it can change things.…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ayn Rand's How To Build A Fire
    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Ayn Rand's How To Build A Fire

    In the story “How to Build a Fire” there is a man and his dog traveling through the frigid temperatures of 70 below zero. In the story they never disclose the man’s name and it is very odd to me. The man didn’t listen to his body, dog or anyone for that matter. He was not prepared for the harsh conditions and he was not ready to take on the hardest challenge of his life and it ended up costing him dearly.…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Survival In Jack London's To Build A Fire
    • 671 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Role Of Survival In Jack London's To Build A Fire

    “Survival is not about being fearless. It's about making a decision, getting on and doing it, because I want to see my kids again, or whatever the reason might be.” -Bear Grylls, survival expert. The protagonist of “To Build a Fire” by Jack London may have been fearless, but that does not lead to him to survival. He makes several critical mistakes that cost him his life, including, as Bear Grylls talked about, making decisions and taking action.…

    • 671 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Build A Fire, By Jack London
    • 691 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To Build A Fire, By Jack London

    "The civilized man has built a coach and lost the use of his feet." The civilized man is so conformed to the grid and society that he wouldn't be able to survive in the wilderness without man-made technology. A civilized man is so attached to technology and society that they wouldn't know what to do in the wilderness without it.…

    • 691 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of The Fire Next Time By James Baldwin
    • 513 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Analysis Of The Fire Next Time By James Baldwin

    “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin was an interesting and very well written book. I found James Baldwin’s account of being black in America to be very honest and blunt. I related a lot with James and his relationship with the Christian Church. I understood his conflict with what he had been taught all his life to believe. I also in some ways felt like James was speaking to me as I was reading his letter to his nephew.…

    • 513 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Build A Fire By Jack London Essay
    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To Build A Fire By Jack London Essay

    We all have moments in time where we have to make important decisions, whether or not to get that new phone you’ve been looking at for the past hour, but almost never do we never have to make a life or death decision. It all depends on which we would rather use; instinct or intellect. In “To Build a Fire” by Jack london the lesson that he teaches about instinct vs. intellect is that man should learn whether or not to use instinct or intellect in certain, sometimes life threatening situations. London develops the theme through the use of characterization. The first example of instinct versus intellect is in the scene where the man and the dog were crossing the river. Another example happens when he is finished having a smoke and decides to…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How To Build A Fire Individualism
    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How To Build A Fire Individualism

    “To Build A Fire” , a short story written by Jack London, tells the story of a man who takes a journey on the Yukon Territory. This short story focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of the man, and how self-reliant he was. Jack London is saying that although individualism means to stay true to yourself, task risks, and be self-reliant, in some cases, you need to rely on someone else and take the advice of others.…

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Compare And Contrast To Build A Fire And Love Of Life By Jack London
    • 1390 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Compare And Contrast To Build A Fire And Love Of Life By Jack London

    He also uses this in "To Build a Fire" when the man blows off the old guy and doesn't listen to the old man because he's "an old time what does he know", this happens often in real life many kids don't listen to their grandparents because they "are old and times have changed". London uses determinism in his writing also like in "Love of Life advice. The man wasn't prepared for the cold, he was only wearing moccasins, and he didn't take the the old man's advice about it being dangerous to go out into the wilderness. London's uses determinism in his writing also like in "To Build a Fire" when the old timer warns the man of the dangers of going out to chop down trees and the man just blows him off, it is predetermined that the old timer is going to be right and the man is going to regret? Face the consequences later. London also uses Regionalism is his story's, many of London's story's take place during the gold rush and in Yukon, Both "To Build a Fire" and "Love of Life" are examples of this. Jack London uses many thematic meanings in his story's.theme in the "Love of Life" is survival, one man on his own without many supplies try's to make it out in the cold dangers of earth. London has many themes in his…

    • 1390 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics