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A one paragraph analysis of the major theme of building a fire by jack london
To build a fire jack london antagonist essay
Conflict of building fire by jack london
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Jack London is an author known for his stories of the North. My author’s contribution to American literature is gargantuan. Jack London has produced many well-known American novels. He has had a difference on the approach writers take on crafting their literature. His most well known novel “To Build A Fire” is one of the greatest American short stories ever created. In a good number of his stories the central conflict is man vs. nature. His impact on American literature has altered the way people write stories.
My favorite character in the story would have to be White Fang. White Fang is the key character of the novel. His mother Kiche, (she-wolf) mated with a full wolf and had a litter of pups. White Fang was the only pup to survive a series of famines. White Fang starts his life out in the wild rather than being pampered. He progresses and becomes more of a dog rather than a wolf. This is all the added reasoning to why White Fang is my favorite character. He dodges adversity and becomes more like a man rather than a monster. Though, as the book progresses he becomes more fierce and untamed. This undoubtedly leads to his demise, but White Fang pulls through. Scott eventually saves White Fang, and is the first human to show him kindness. Scott changes White Fang’s comprehension of human’s and becomes an affectionate loving dog.
The character I detest the most would have to be Gray Beaver, White Fang’s first master. A harsh and unkind man like Gray Beaver showed no care for White Fang. Nevertheless for some odd reason White Fang bonds to him out of certain mutual admiration. White Fang becomes extremely vicious because of Gray Beaver’s care for him. When Gray Beaver becomes addicted to alcohol he heads to Fort Yukon to buy and sell goods. He eventually sells White Fang to monster of man named Beauty Smith. This is why Gray Beaver is the antagonist in the novel White Fang and why I dislike him the most.
Judge Scott, Weedon Scott’s father reminds me of my dad. Judge Scott throughout the novel doesn’t believe in White Fang until White Fang saves his life. Judge Scott ultimately refers to White Fang as the “Blessed Wolf.” This event connects to my life a lot, when I was out driving with my father he wanted to teach me to parallel park.
Villainous traits are found in many books and movies; however, one of the most common is being vile and offensive. Everyone who says or does something that is completely inappropriate and harsh, is headed down a villainous path. Erik Fisher executes vile and offensive well. In
Jack London’s To Build a Fire follows an unnamed protagonist, who’s only referred to as “the man”, as he travels the Yukon Trail during a severe snow storm. Along with his husky wolf-dog, he determined to meet friends at an old junction by six o’clock. The man, who was warned not travel in the Klondike alone, presses forward through the terrain’s harsh weather. He later falls through the snow in what looked to be a secure spot. With his feet and fingers soaked, he starts a fire and begins drying himself. The man constructs the fire under a spruce tree in order to take its twigs and drop them directly onto the fire. Each time he pulled a twig a branch overturned its load of snow, eventually blotting out the fire. He grabs all his matches and lights them simultaneously to set fire to a piece of bark; it soon goes out. The man decides to kill the dog and use its warm body to restore his circulation, but is unable to kill the animal and lets the dog go. The man attempts to run from the thought of freezing to death but he quickly falls down. He decides he should meet death in a more dignified manner; the man falls off into a calm sleep.
There were really no very interesting characters in this book. I was never one to be interested in history. There were some interesting parts though, for instance, the chapter about the railroad man was pretty good, and it was kind of cool that he got promoted to vice-president of the railroad he work on within a year after he started the job. Some of the wars he was in were ok as well. It sometimes amazes me that there were so many unnamed heroes.
London, Jack. "To Build a Fire, by Jack London." The World of Jack London 2012®. Web. 02
Jack London has written a classic short story in the 1908 version of "To Build a Fire." This is the classic story of man fighting nature. In most genres (e.g. movies, novels, short stories) the main character comes out on top, however unlikely that is. Jack London takes literary naturalism and shows the reader how unmerciful nature is. Much like Stephen Crane in "The Open Boat," in which the one of the characters dies, London doesn't buy into that "has to have a good ending" contrivance. Through analysis of two London's letters (to R.W. Gilder and Cloudesly Johns) these two versions of "To Build a Fire" come alive with new meaning. Although there are many differences on the surface, both stories use his philosophy as expressed to Johns and both teach a moral lesson, one which will not soon be forgotten: "Never travel alone."
most evil characters and he is a character who stands out among all of the
Tom Sawyer. He is Huck's best friend and comrade to their adventures. He is smart and witty but sometimes nasty. He betrayed Jim just to play along with the scheme that Huck put up just to be adventurous even if he don't have to. He is both static and a flat character.
reputation as one of the finest American writers of all time. A man of towering
When Jack London wrote "To Build a Fire" he embraced the idea of naturalism because it mirrored the events of daily life. Naturalism showed how humans had to be wary at every corner because at anytime death could be there, waiting for them to make a mistake and forfeit their lives. He used naturalism, the most realistic literary movement, to show how violent and uncaring nature really is and how no matter what you do nature will always be there. London also presented the basic idea of Darwinism and the survival of the fittest, basically if you are dumb you will die. Collectively, London used naturalism to show how in life, humans can depend on nothing but themselves to survive. "To Build a Fire" is a short story that embodies the idea of naturalism and how, if one is not careful, nature will gain the upper hand and they will perish.
London, Jack. “To Build a Fire.” Holt Elements of Literature. Fifth Edition. Essentials of American Literature. Ed. Kathleen Daniel and Mescal Evler. Austin, TX.: Holt,
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an early American author whose novels and short stories shaped American Literature. His books have stood the test of time. Hawthorne uses a great deal of description is his stories. Hawthorne’s books give us a little in-site into life in the 1800s. He changed the way authors wrote back then, and the way we write today.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, known for his use of allegory and symbolism, is now one of the most studied authors. He became famous for his novels and short stories that revealed the portrayal he had of the world. His works have been properly recognized for more than a century. Hawthorne’s perspective of life comes from his history that gave him a sense of inherited guilt. Even with the setbacks during his journey to success, Hawthorne managed to surpass them and become the wonderful writer he is known to be.
Huckleberry Finn A young outcast boy who is always forced to survive on his own due to lack of authority. He is quick-witted and able to make intelligent decisions, but is often influenced by his friend Tom.
Karen Rhodes analyzed to build a fire in a cultural context. He believed "London's works were written so that he could survive in a world he increasingly came to see as "red in tooth and claw""(1). It is obviously the story of a man fighting the stresses of Nature. According to Rhodes, to build a fire was drawn from the year London spent in Canada's Yukon Territory. London depicted arctic and very cold conditions throughout the story. Rhodes believed to build a fire represented London's Naturalistic Flavor. "It pits one man alone against the overwhelming forces of nature"(Karen Rhodes, 1). He also believed to build a fire can either be interpreted as the Pioneer American experience or can be read as an allegory for the journey of human existence (Karen Rhodes, 1). According to Rhodes, there are two versions of to build a fire; the first one was written in 1902 while the second one was written in 1908. We are studying the 1908 version." It has come to be known as everyman trekking through the Naturalistic Universe"(Karen Rhodes, 1). To build a fire is indeed the story of a man trekking through the universe alone except for his dog. The man's death at the end was the culmination of the story. " His death came through no lapse of observation, no lack of diligence, no real folly but the nature of himself and his environment" (Karen Rhodes, 2). I think his is a fine criticism of London's to build a fire. London had made use of his life experiences in writing the story.