Introduction
In his short tale “To Build a Fire,” Jack London describes how someone might endure a grueling winter in the woods. He runs into several roadblocks along the route and is obliged to use his own critical thinking to get over them. The reader is well aware of the beginner’s flaws throughout the entire novel. One’s lack of information and consideration can easily be extended to many facets of life. In general, London’s message is just that, to survive, humanity must learn to get over its arrogance.
Discussion
The central premise of the narrative, as depicted by many existentialist authors, is that man lives alone, subject to the ruthless, unstoppable forces of nature; a very subtle aspect of this theme is that a person’s purpose in life is to discover meaning. It also demonstrates how natural forces played a part in man’s demise. In order to further demonstrate to the reader that man has, in reality, caused his own death, London adds fate as another element to the narrative. Death, on the other hand, is frequently the outcome of numerous errors committed by the newcomer. I believe that London does a fantastic job of demonstrating how every one of the above causes has worked against human goodness throughout history. Simply taking safeguards would improve this person’s outcome. In addition, the story’s realism makes it simple to adapt to real life and draw lessons from it.
Conclusion
Overall, Jack London has constructed a compelling and evocative sad tale in his signature manner that exemplifies a current philosophical issue. In a harsh and unsympathetic world, the topic of this narrative refers to the human yearning to find meaning in the agony of his lonely existence. With her use of settings, images, and clever use of irony in the story, London effectively demonstrates and accentuates this topic.