The Man in To Build a Fire - Book Report/Review Example

The Man in To Build a Fire Jack London's short story, To Build a Fire, can be seen as a ic example of how an can use characterization as a most effective literary device in the narration of a story. This short story tells the saga of an unnamed man, who becomes obsessed with the idea of traveling to a camp by negotiating nine miles under frozen weather conditions in an area where he is only a chechaquo. Pitting the protagonist against the raw power of nature, London reveals the frailty of humans, who, ensconced within the illusionary sheath of their knowledge, ignore their instincts and fail to appreciate nature's might, at the peril of their lives. This essential vanity and the recklessness of human nature, which reflect in the protagonist's character, bring him his doom. He cannot fathom the severity of the extreme cold conditions in the area, nor does he foresee how savage nature can become at times. Though new to the place, the man simply ignores the advice of the old-timer of Sulphur Creek. Unable to survive in the harsh weather condition, he finally freezes to death; a helpless prey to the savageness of nature. The story reveals how the character of a person determines the course of his life and brings him his doom. From the brief episodes in the story, it becomes obvious that the protagonist is a vane person who possesses knowledge only on a superficial level. He appears to be devoid of wisdom and the ability to apply the knowledge for practical purposes in his life. He knows that the temperature in the area, in which he is traveling, drops to 50 degrees below freezing point; yet he lacks the imagination to know what its true implications can be. To exemplify the man's lack of understanding of the cold conditions, the author contrasts his character with that of the dog, which senses the severity of the cold purely by its natural instincts. The man, because of his ignorance, was "quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances." (London, 1908). The author, by this observation, attempts to portray a character who is intelligent only on a surface level; a man who possesses some knowledge, but necessarily lacks the wisdom to understand things in their correct perspective. This lacking is further emphasized in the statement, "it did not lead him to meditate upon his frailty as a creature of temperature" (London, 1908). Again, by contrasting the protagonist's character with the dog, whose "instinct told it a truer tale than was told to the man by the man's judgment" (London, 1908), London seeks to expose the vanity of the character who, despite all his pretentions of knowledge and valor, fails to understand nature and his surroundings which prompts him go to the camp, without a companion, in weather conditions that have practically dropped 75 degrees below freezing point, and embraces a tragic death. London's diligence in characterization demonstrates itself in the protagonist's struggle for survival. Though not endowed well with the faculty of wisdom, the man seems to be determined in his fight against nature's brutality. Humans with will power possess an inherent potential to confront calamities and they do their best to overcome the turmoil due to their urge to survive. This quality does exist in the protagonist as illustrated by his actions throughout the story, especially after his limbs and fingers become numb. He doesn't spend time lamenting over his follies; instead he embarks on a series of action to attain his goal. Despite all the extremely adverse conditions, he "was busy all the time He made a new foundation for a fire" (London, 1908). This shows that the protagonist is not a person who gives up easily. The man possesses an admirable sense of purpose in the manner in which he orchestrates his actions to light the fire. When he becomes unable to light the match due to numbness in his fingers, he devises another way by picking up the match "in his teeth and scratching it on his leg," and makes twenty attempts before finding success. (London, 1908). He even harbors a though that he can slit the dog's belly and seek the warmth of its blood. This, though an act of cruelty to the animal which can be termed as treachery, derives from the protagonist's deep yearning to escape the savage cold that torments him. In spite of his irrational conduct throughout the story, he is driven by an instinct to survive and does his best to succeed in his quest. The final scene, when the man embraces his death with honor, is another episode where the author's craftsmanship in creating well-rounded characters becomes conspicuous. Attempt after desperate attempt, the protagonist realizes that he doesn't stand a chance to win the fight against Mother Nature. As the last resort he has tried running towards the camp, hoping the exercise will render some warmth to his frozen body; but exhaustion takes over and he slumps to the ground. At that moment he understands that even if he keeps running he won't make it to the camp and instead will freeze to death. Thus, he decides to entertain "the conception of meeting death with dignity." (London, 1908). Also, ironically, the simile that runs through his mind about him is that of "running around like a chicken with its head cut off." (London, 1908). This indicates that he takes his death as natural; he doesn't lament, nor does he regret. Thus, finally he finds his peace. Also, in what is the only semblance in the story to a dialogue, the man muses that the old-timer of Sulphur Creek was right. Thus, the protagonist sees reason and accepts his folly of not listening to an older person who knows more about the region and its climate. This reconciliation indicates the element of good in the protagonist and makes him an honorable man before his death. All in all, the protagonist's character can be discerned as a person who possesses necessary knowledge but is devoid of the merit of true wisdom, which preempts him from listening to reason. He lands himself in trouble due to his ignorance. Later on in the story, he emerges as a determined person who keeps fighting against all odds for his survival. The hidden virtues in him come to fore when he finally reconciles, accepts his fate and finds his peace. By portraying a multi-dimensional character like the protagonist, the author proves that every human has some inherent positive qualities in him or her. Works Cited London, Jack. To Build a Fire. The Century Magazine. V.76. Aug. 1908. 19 Mar. 2008. . Read More