Stories with different theme,plots, mood, tones, and setting is what makes up a story. In the short story “ To Build a Fire” the main focus is setting. Setting is when and where the story takes place. Setting can also have a dramatic affect on characters. For example, the author Jack London has the setting take place in the Yukon Territory, making a dramatic affect on the character. The setting in “To build a Fire” impacts the character mentally, emotionally, and physically.…
In reference to literary movements, naturalism and realism are quite similar but have clear differences to each other. Realism refers to writings that are based off the “real world” and the way a human in the real world would usually live their life. Naturalism is in a way a branch of realism and the stark difference between the two is that literary naturalist deemed that nature – things out of human control – determine humans/characters circumstances.…
“To Build a Fire” is a naturalist’s view of the harsh peril that the Yukon can hold. The characters were all in the Yukon and each had different fates due to the willingness to accept the rules of such a harsh climate. The tone and mood help set up such a naturalistic story where one should not trifle with nature. Throughout the story the main character fights himself and the elements to try to survive. “To Build a Fire” by Jack London shows how the dismissal of knowledge and experience due to self-confidence creates arrogance.…
The writing style referred to as naturalism—popular among many notable late-nineteenth century writers—can be defined as the study of a character’s relationship to its surrounding and how the environment dictates and contributes to the character’s motives and values. Stephen Crane’s short-story “The Open Boat”, holds a very cynical depiction of life as the four main characters are stranded in the ocean on a small boat, left to face the wrath of waves, sharks, aching muscles, and coming to the realization that nature holds all the power. Similarly in “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, the main character is pitted against the brutal forces of nature in the extreme climate of the Yukon; 75 degrees below zero, the environment is utterly indifferent…
Light and darkness also helps develop theme. In the book there is the theme of fire as protection and fire as destruction and loss. “One time, as a child, in a power failure, his mother had found and lit a last candle and there had been a brief hour of rediscovery, of such illumination that space lost its vast dimensions and drew comfortably around them, and they, mother and son, alone, transformed, hoping that the power might not come on again too soon. . . .” This shows how fire can protect them from the dark. The second example is at the very beginning when the narrator says “It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed.” This shows how obsession the firemen can get involved in, in their daily routines and jobs. It is a really evil, dark, and destructive way of life but it was best described through the use of darkness.…
Stories have different settings, plots, tones, themes, and moods. These things make a story. These are the things that impact how a character would act in the story. One short story where a character was impacted is in the short story “To Build a Fire”, written by Jack London. The setting of the story was set in the Klondike of the Yukon Territory of 1896. The day was cold and dark, the trail was mysterious, strange, and weird. This causes the Man in the story to face many problems. Settings of a story can impact a character physically, mentally, and emotionally.…
The late 18th century to the early 19th century was a time of social and economical turmoil as well as prosperity and civil righteousness for different groups of people. Many changes have occurred throughout that time period including advancements in industry, social and religious enlightenment, and especially new forms of literature. Many famous authors during that time period wanted to preserve their cultures and to describe what was going on during those times. This lead to the form of literature called Naturalism and Regionalism, two very popular forms of american literature. The term Naturalism was a literary action that used realistic and detailed suggestions that social conditions, heredity and environment had to do with shaping human…
The example of this novel being an example of naturalism lies in its title, Of Mice and Men coming from the quote “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” Someone with a positive view of naturalism would likely be able to connect with the idea of predestination, where it doesn’t matter what you do during your life, whether you end up in heaven or hell is already decided and there is nothing you can do about it. With naturalism, we are the direct victims of nature, and there is nothing we can do about it. A more minor example of naturalism within the novel itself could be Lennie accidently killing Curley’s wife. Lennie is bigger and more powerful than he thinks, and this unrecognizable power is something natural that Curley’s wife couldn’t do anything against. Once she let Lennie touch her hair, she stood no chance against Lennie’s…
The theme of Jack London’s 1908 version of “To Build a Fire” is that nature’s significance overpowers the unimportant needs of man. In the 1908 version, a half-wolf dog was added into the literary work to further the plot and significance of the story, highlighting this central theme of existence. The addition of the dog in the revision helped emphasize the theme by representing the primitivity of nature, and providing contrast. By combining these two elements, London asserts his understanding of the tragic and brutal relationship between man and nature.…
The arctic: a cold, barren, snowy wasteland that almost no one can survive. This landscape could lead to an inevitable end for anyone who tries to conquer it, especially alone. This situation is brought to light through the short story, To Build A Fire by Jack London. In this tale, an unnamed man makes an attempt to go through the snowy setting of Alaska during the freezing season of winter with only a dog by his side. Throughout the book, London builds up suspense and makes people uncertain about how the book will end. However, through the foreshadowing of the rising actions, climax, and repeating details, the inevitable end can be clearly seen.…
“Survival is not about being fearless. It's about making a decision, getting on and doing it, because I want to see my kids again, or whatever the reason might be.” -Bear Grylls, survival expert. The protagonist of “To Build a Fire” by Jack London may have been fearless, but that does not lead to him to survival. He makes several critical mistakes that cost him his life, including, as Bear Grylls talked about, making decisions and taking action.…
Cited: London, Jack. “To Build a Fire.” Literature An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing 10th ed. New York: Pearson/Longman 119-29. Print.…
“To Build a Fire” is a short story written by Jack London. This story was originally published in 1902, with the famous version being published in 1908. When London was a student at the University of California, Berkeley, he had discovered the name of his biological father and wrote to him in an attempt to establish a relationship. His letter was returned with the man denying paternity. This denial negatively overwhelmed London, resulting in him dropping out of college and sailing to the Yukon in Canada to pursue the gold rush. This location had a profound impact on London and has resulted in his naturalist writing type. The Yukon has been the setting in many of his stories including “To Build a Fire.” This short story details a logger new to the Yukon Territory and his trek down a trail with his wolf dog. While walking down the trail, the man breaks through the ice and plunges shin deep into the frigid water. Knowing frostbite would set in, he is forced to take up camp and start a fire to dry off and warm up. His first fire is extinguished and he is unable to light a new one. Frostbite and hypothermia set in and the man eventually succumbs to his fate. This short story showcases the theme of Man vs. Nature. London is able to support this theme with his use of setting, foreshadowing, and irony. This theme is confirmed by the published analysis “To Build a Fire” written by James Welsh, which was published in 2004.…
Nature can be a dreaded enemy and can drain life out of humans and animals that are not aware and cautious. In the short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, nature sets and controls the tone throughout and interacts with the man and his dog. In the story, a man and his dog are traveling through the Yukon, in Alaska, to meet the man’s friends in a cabin miles away. They encounter an enormous amount of adversity and pain while trying to reach his friends. The Yukon is one of the coldest places on Earth and the man and his dog have to travel for hours in the bitter cold. They discover the power and ruthlessness of nature head on in their journey. The man had an estimation of how cold it really is while he and his dog were walking, the temperature is, “Fifty degrees below zero meant eighty-odd degrees of frost. Such fact impressed him as being cold and uncomfortable, that was all. It did not lead him to meditate upon his frailty as a creature of temperature, and upon man 's frailty in general, able to live within certain narrow limits of cold” (London). This quote shows that the man believes that he is stronger and more powerful than the cold.…
As I see it this novel is a piece of naturalistic literature because it shows man’s pride, his struggle to prove it and how he plans to survive. It breaks humanity down to a basic level, male dominance and basic survival instinct. Nothing is more natural than a man and his dog in the wilderness fighting to live. The outcome is also naturalistic because it shows how man’s pride can get him cut down; in his case he lost his life, that’s why I think this book shows…