Build a Fire by Jack London. Specifically, Essay

Build a Fire by Jack London. Specifically, it will answer the question: Why did the traveler die? Jack London's disturbing story illustrates the difficulty of traveling in adverse conditions, but more, it shows the foolishness of not listening to advice from people who have more experience and knowledge. The traveler dies because he is arrogant, stupid, and does not listen to the advice of others, or even his traveling companion -- a dog that is smarter than he is.

Jack London's story tells the tale of a newcomer to the Alaskan wilderness who is determined to make his way through the frozen Yukon in the depths of winter. In one word, this man dies because he is stupid. He is a newcomer to Alaska "this was his first winter" (London), and he disregards the advice of other, more seasoned Alaskans before he sets out on his journey. London also notes that the man is not that smart. "He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances" (London). Therefore, the man exhibits the very human characteristic of ignorance and lack of understanding. Normally, this is not life threatening, but in this case, the man puts himself in a dangerous situation, and then does not have the intelligence to know what to do to remove himself from it.

London continually uses the landscape and lavish description to show the beauty of the country, and how the beauty hides mortal danger. He writes, "The furrow of the old sled trail was plainly visible, but a dozen inches of snow covered the marks of the last runners" (London). Consistently, the man ignores the signs around him, and the dangers of what he is doing. The sled trails are old because no one else would travel during this kind of weather.The cold is the biggest factor in not traveling, but the man cannot get it through his head that it is colder than he has ever known before. London notes, "Once in a while the thought reiterated itself that it was very cold and that he had never experienced such cold" (London). The dog could recognize this fact, but the man cannot. He chooses to ignore it because he has a mission, to reach his friends at the camp, and he ignores everything else in his need to finish his purpose, no matter the consequences. London also uses the description to illustrate that man is never stronger than the elements, and when he underestimates them, he could be making a deadly mistake. The arrogance of a man who is new to the area, but still thinks he knows more than people who live there is apparent as the traveler gets deeper into the forest, and begins to feel fear for the first time. He might never admit he made a mistake, but in this case, he will not have to, it will be obvious to everyone when he never makes it out of the forest alive.

This traveler has no name because London purposely does not want the reader to become too attached to him. The dog is more sympathetic to the reader than the man is, and the dog could have saved the man, if he had only been open to input from others. London notes, "On the other hand, there was no keen intimacy between the dog and the man. The one was the toil slave of the other, and the only caresses….....