Essay about To Build A Fire Theme - 598 Words

In the story quot;To Build a Firequot; by Jack London, there are three principal themes. They are respecting nature, and considering results of actions. The main theme, or universal truth, is heeding warnings. The themes are shown through the character and his actions. The main character in the story had an attitude that prevented him from heeding internal and external warnings. He did not respect natures power, and therefore he paid with his life.His attitude was arrogant and careless. The man had no imagination and only understood facts. He knew it was very cold and his body was numb, but he failed to realize the danger. A newcomer with no experience, he thought he was invincible. Neither the quot;absence of sun from the†¦show more content†¦The man learns his lesson the hard way.The man encountered many internal warnings that it was too cold to be outside. First, his nose and cheeks went numb. His face, feet, and hands followed. His beard and mustache grew icy from his breath. Rubbing his face and beating his hands only temporarily helped his circulation. After he got his feet wet, they froze. His fingers quot;seemed remote from his bodyquot; because he could not move them. The most obvious clues that the man took in were internal. quot;He wondered whether his toes were warm or numb.quot; It should have worried him. When he lit the last fire, his flesh burned. He knew because quot;he could smell it.quot; He could not even feel his hands burning. The man thought it was quot;curious that one should have to use his eyes to find where his hands were.quot; Eventually, no amount of running or thrashing can awaken the feeling in his body. If he had paid adequate attention to his internal signals he may have survived.If the man did not believe his body, there were also several external signals to guide him. He mentioned the quot;old-timer at Sulphur Creekquot; many times. The experienced old-timer warned him of the danger of traveling alone. He didnt listen to the old-timer. The man spat, and it crackled before it hit the ground. This alarmed him of how cold it was, but not of the dangers. quot;In a month, no man had come up orShow MoreRelatedTo Build A Fire Theme Essay842 Words   |  4 PagesHow Mood Intensifies the Story â€Å"To Build a Fire† The short story â€Å"To Build a Fire† has many moods that change throughout the story. There are three moods that really stand out and help to tell Jack London’s story. Jack London conveys these three key moods as gloominess, danger, and desperation in â€Å"To Build a Fire†. These moods help convey how hard it is to survive in Alaskas harsh environment. 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The main character, who is only referred to as the Man, is battling his way alone through the harsh temperatures of the Yukon. On this journey he runs into many obstacles and challenges. The Man does not listen to the advice he is given, leading to his inevitable death at the end. The most notable theme London builds up and controls is the idea of foolishnessRead MoreJack London : An Oyster Pirate1204 Words   |  5 Pageswritings reflect the social and intellectual turbulence of the turn of the 20th century. When asked why he wrote, he simply responded it was for the money. Some basic themes that most of his works shared include: his life, evolution, brutality of society, socialism, an d adjustment of man against elemental ways of life (Jack London Themes and Messages) 2. Many of his works were based off experiences London had in his lifetime, such as â€Å"Call of the Wild.† London was a serious believer of Charles Darwin’sRead MoreLondon s Personal Experience Of The Alaskan Gold Rush1606 Words   |  7 PagesRush is clearly shown in two short stories he wrote about the event, â€Å"Love of Life† and â€Å"To Build a Fire†. These two short stories demonstrate London’s vivid style through the use of figurative language, measurements, point of view, and tone; these stories and their themes about nature’s power over man are also clearly influenced by movements in literature. One of Jack London s short stories, To Build a Fire is about a man and a dog traveling in terribly cold weather along the Yukon. Both the man