What Is The Tone Of To Build A Fire

To Build a Fire takes place in the cold and grey, no sun, colder than fifty degrees below zero, Yukon Territory in Canada. Knowing where this story takes place is important to the story because it defines the conflict within the story. “The Yukon lay a mile wide and hidden under three feet of ice. On top of this ice were as many feet of snow. It was all pure white, rolling in gentle undulations where the ice jams of the freeze-up had formed (London, 1127-128).” The author wants the reader to know about the flaws of human nature. The man’s human nature is his own downfall because of his inexperience and lack of respect for the weather. As the course of the story goes on it begins to seem more like a ‘what not to do’ manual that tells a story of the mishaps that could occur.
Reading through the story, the tone that starts to show is that the author has no sympathy or compassion for the man. The Old Timer represented common sense and wisdom. The author, Jack London, displayed no sympathy towards the man. London seemed to make the character arrogant and disrespectful to both his environment and elders. All of the good characteristic were given to the dog within the story. From the reader’s point of view, it would seem as if London likes the dog more than the man. “The trouble with him was that he was without imagination. He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in
“‘You were right, old hoss; you were right,’ the man mumbled to the old-timer of Sulphur Creek (London 136).”

Works Cited
London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. 12th ed. N.p.: Pearson, 2013. 127-137. Print.
Gioia, Dana. "Types of Narrators." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. By X.J. Kennedy. 12th ed. N.p.: Pearson, 2013. 28.