Pride In Jack London's To Build A Fire

Growing up every individual is given some type of advice from an elder. As stubborn, prideful youth, many take it upon themselves to learn the hard way and ignore the advice. In the short story “To Build a Fire,” author Jack London introduces a relationship between the main character, The Man, and a secondary character, The Old-Timer from Sulfur Creek, that shows how one’s pride can get in the way. The interactions between these two characters give the reader a true idea of who The Man really is and how his overbearing sense of pride puts his survival in jeopardy. In the beginning, of the short story, The Man perceives himself as bold and powerful but is portrayed by the narrator as a “newcomer on the land,” whose main goal is to trek across the Yukon, in below freezing temperatures, to a mining camp on Henderson Creek (London 107). London describes The Man as “quick and alert in the things of life but only in the things, and not in the significance,” meaning his main attribute is taking action in insignificant situations and is careless when it comes to
As temperatures drop, his limbs become numb, skin begins to get frostbite, and the ice below him begins to break in certain spots The Man’s attitude towards The Old Timer from Sulphur Creek changes. The Man expresses, “The old-timer on Sulphur Creek was right… after fifty below, a man should travel with a partner,” regretting not listening to the advice from an elder (London 115). The Man finally realizes he is in big trouble when he reaches his lowest points, “The old-timer on Sulphur Creek had told him about it… and now he was appreciating the advice” (London 112). When the Man hits his death bed he finally realized he should have put his pride to the side and listened to his elder to be able to survive a trek through the deadly weather conditions of the