To Build A Fire, By Jack London
“To Build a Fire” is a short story that was written by Jack London in 1908. It tells the story of a man traveling through the woods in severely cold conditions, with only a dog and not nearly enough knowledge on how to make it back to his camp safely. While reading this, you notice several aspects of the man, specifically how he relates to his dog and the environment he is in.
From the beginning, you notice the man doesn’t really have a special relationship with his dog. In fact he seems to only appreciate him for the service he provides. In return, the dog isn’t loyal to the man, but obeys him out of fear. The man himself knows this, and it allows him to order the dog to do things against its better judgment. The dog also knows that the man holds a key role in his survival. He provides shelter and food, and while the dog knows far more about survival than the man, he …show more content…
The man has developed a specific relationship with him, using pain as a resource for obedience. Several times in the story the author mentions a specific tone in the man’s voice that reminds the dog of whips and causes him to listen to the man out of fear. The man has a similar mindset with nature as he does with the dog. He shows little fear towards it and he doesn’t realize the dangers of how he is travelling. From the beginning, you get a feeling that the man isn’t exactly accustomed to the the environment he is in. You can see that he isn’t used to the harsh weather conditions and that he might not be prepared for it. As you continue to read, it mentions how he was given a warning before he left saying that “After fifty-below a man should travel with a partner.” He begins to regret not listening to the other man as it becomes more obvious that he has never experienced the severe levels of cold that he was in. You notice this through his frequent mistakes that will, in the end, cost him his
From the beginning, you notice the man doesn’t really have a special relationship with his dog. In fact he seems to only appreciate him for the service he provides. In return, the dog isn’t loyal to the man, but obeys him out of fear. The man himself knows this, and it allows him to order the dog to do things against its better judgment. The dog also knows that the man holds a key role in his survival. He provides shelter and food, and while the dog knows far more about survival than the man, he …show more content…
The man has developed a specific relationship with him, using pain as a resource for obedience. Several times in the story the author mentions a specific tone in the man’s voice that reminds the dog of whips and causes him to listen to the man out of fear. The man has a similar mindset with nature as he does with the dog. He shows little fear towards it and he doesn’t realize the dangers of how he is travelling. From the beginning, you get a feeling that the man isn’t exactly accustomed to the the environment he is in. You can see that he isn’t used to the harsh weather conditions and that he might not be prepared for it. As you continue to read, it mentions how he was given a warning before he left saying that “After fifty-below a man should travel with a partner.” He begins to regret not listening to the other man as it becomes more obvious that he has never experienced the severe levels of cold that he was in. You notice this through his frequent mistakes that will, in the end, cost him his