The title itself implies that the story is more of a manual on how to build a fire than it is a tale with many lessons. The story’s deep description, symbolism, and purposeful diction all contribute to its strong portrait of the dominance of nature.
The first lines paint a vivid picture of a cold gray scene. The man, as he is always described, has no name and therefore can be interpreted as the reader or someone the reader knows or I don´t know. Also, without a name, the man does not represent individuality, but is a symbol for all men relying on fact over instinct. The man is a mathematical, scientific thinker; he follows the enlightenment ideals that science is the answer to everything. This is the only point in the story where Jack London seems to make any judgment on the man or his way of thinking. London focuses his point that the man never thought more of things than their scientific basis, never conjectured further thought or facts significance.
In almost the complete opposite of the man, his dog carries a vital role in the story. The dog represents a reaction to the situation, unlike the man who depends on technology. The dog uses its fur coat as natural protection from the cold. The dog represents a voice of reason in the story, it tries to warn the man of the dangers he encounters, waiting until its own life is in peril before leaving the man for the other.
Nature is described as the dominant force in the story, but it is never shown to actively attack the man. The wilderness would have been just as cold if the man had never walked along the trail; nature made no malicious act. The man’s own mistakes lead to his conflicts with the environment behind him. The man, in his hurry to save his own life, failed to notice the implications of his actions and eventually caused his own demise.
“To Build a Fire” is a descriptive and informative tale that focuses on the powers of nature and instinct. Jack London tells a story of the common man in nature.
Mike Gutierrez.
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