Temptation In Jack London's To Build A Fire

Reaching one’s temptation is thought to be achieved through placing all cards on the table. In Jack London’s “To Build a Fire”, the author conveys the humanistic theme that temptation hinders the practicality of decision making. While hiking in the Yukon, a man faces mother nature at its worst as he strives towards reaching his temptation of wealth and fortune. Despite the warnings of those who have had firsthand experience hiking in the Yukon, the newcomers oversight of consequence, as a result of temptation, places him in a life threatening situation. It is this negligence working against mankind that ultimately determines their fate. As the sun rises in the Yukon, a hiker, along with his dog, begin their journey to a camp near a prospect area potentially filled with gold. Although the man dresses properly for the arctic weather, he does not thoroughly weigh the results of his actions for traveling in such dangerous conditions. After stepping in water and being doused with snow from a tree, he realizes the need to start a fire is vital for survival. After several unsuccessful attempts, the man resorts to his final option of killing his dog for a source of heat. The man is so weak from the cold, he is unable to kill the dog, and
In this case, the ending result of the hiker represents the laxity of how decisions are made. Rather than properly weighing both the costs and benefits of what a certain action may result in, individuals will often lean towards temptational decision making. More often than not, decisions made on the temptational side of the spectrum will lead to consequential results. In the case of the hiker, the temptation of wealth blocked the practical reasoning that the weather he faces is not built for mankind to journey through. Naturally, it is the mental functioning of each individual that ultimately determines the fate of