Comparison Of Into The Wild And Jack London's To Build A Fire

In the course of human history, man has managed to do some really dumb things. Whether it’s because we lack sufficient knowledge, make a mistake, or are just too stubborn to use sound judgement, dumb decisions are made every day by everyone. However, none have a greater level of stupidity than the choices made by the man in Jack London’s To Build a Fire. This is a story of pride, ignorance, and stupidity, which ultimately leads to the downfall of its main character. This short story is a caution against over confidence and unpreparedness, showing the harsh effects of both. Ultimately, it is an issue of man’s pride versus the harsh conditions of nature. It shows that one cannot simply overlook nature, because doing so can lead to the destruction

of man. To Build a Fire is the perfect example of what pride and overconfidence can do to when it comes to nature, as well as anything in life. Pride is the downfall of the human race, and it was certainly a lesson learned by the man in Jack London’s story.
To Build a Fire tells the story of a man and his wilderness journey into the Alaskan Yukon. He is accompanied by a dog, and he is set out to meet a group of boys at a camp ahead of him. Before he began his journey, he had a conversation with an old-timer, who advised the man in his travels. The man would have been wise to listen to such wise advice, but no, his pride got in the way. The man in To Build a Fire was so confident in himself that he bypassed the advice of a wise old-timer who advised against everything that the man did. Later he thought to himself: “That man from Sulphur Creek had spoken the truth when telling how cold it sometimes got in this country. And he had laughed at him at the time! That showed one must not be too sure of things.” (London) This was the first lesson, but it did not stop him from continuing on with his journey, a journey that was a recipe for disaster. Many more flashbacks or regret occur during the man’s journey, yet no advice would stop him. On page 6 London writes: “He remembered the advice of the old man on Sulphur Creek, and smiled. The man had been very serious when he said that no man should travel alone in that country after 50 below zero. Well, here he was; he had had the accident.” Here, the man shows regret for not listening to the old-timer when he advised him to not travel alone. He believed that he didn’t need the advice of others, and that he could take on nature on his own. The man keeps coming back to the conversation with the man as it plays out the tragedy that was foretold to him. Again he thinks to himself, “The old man on Sulphur Creek was right, he thought in the moment of controlled despair that followed. After 50 below zero, a man should travel with a companion.” The ultimate downfall of the man was in his pride to not listen to others and his over confidence in his own abilities.
Even as the man faced his death, he was shocked. It was like he never expected it to happen. It’s the classic example of pure stupidity and dumb decisions. The man had all of the knowledge that was required, but he failed to apply it to his actions. He let his pride get in the way of sound judgement. His pride caused him to not listen to the old-timers advice. His pride caused him to become over-confident in his own abilities. He was completely unprepared for the treacherous and unforgiving journey that he was taking. London writes: “In fact, he carried nothing but the lunch wrapped in the handkerchief.” It’s a battle between man’s ego and common sense. This man certainly favored the former while disregarding the latter. A choice that literally cost him his life due to what appears to be a lack of common sense. He paid for his actions with his life, and it’s a tragedy that we can learn from.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is very similar to Jack London’s To Build a Fire in the sense that they both involve this man versus nature theme.

In Into the Wild, the main character, Chris, embarks on a journey into the wilderness alone. He travels with minimal amounts of supplies and has no real plan for what he is doing. Like man in London’s story, Chris also received advice from wise and knowledgeable people who advised against traveling alone. They told him to be prepared not take any chances when it came to nature. However, Chris also ignored this advice and proceeded on with his wilderness journey. This produces the same result as in To Build a Fire, death. The interesting connection between these two stories is that Krakauer mentions Jack London as one of Chris’ favorite authors, giving him inspiration. Though this inspiration was most definitively negative because it caused Chris to embark on a disastrous trip into the

wild.
Jack London had an intrigue with wilderness survival stories as well as the Alaskan Yukon. Along with To Build a Fire, London was famous for writing The Call of the Wild and White Fang. London's fascination with adventure can be seen in many of his works that he authored. There is especially much parallel between To Build a Fire and The Call of the Wild. Both stories take place in the harsh world of the Klondike, and they both tell stories of survival. While The Call of the Wild has a dog as the main character, and To Build a Fire has a man, both stories play out in a similar fashion. London shows what trying to survive in the wilderness can be like. He shows the disastrous effects in To Build a Fire, and the triumphant rewards in The Call of the Wild. It’s basically the same story with different endings. London's life had a big impact on his writing, and you can see many of the similarities between many of his works.
We can learn a great deal from the story of To Build a Fire.

London teaches us the harsh effects that nature can have on someone who is unprepared. We see that simple mistakes, like not traveling with a partner, or not bringing enough food, can bring down the whole trip. It shows us that pride can be the ultimate downfall of a man. Pride leads to overconfidence in oneself, which can lead to illogical decisions, which can lead to disaster. As was the case with the man in London’s story, his pride overtook him and led him to make choices that were senseless. We must learn from his actions and don’t think too highly of ourselves, but instead make informed and logical decisions. This includes asking the opinions of others and taking their advice, especially those far wiser and experienced than us. We must heed the warning that London gives us, and strive to live with

humility.