A relationship between humans and the forces of nature is often the central theme of many literary works. The short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London is another example of how this conflict is depicted through the description of a man’s struggles at the mercy of nature. In this story, the protagonist travels in extremely cold weather despite warnings and tries to build a fire to survive (London 462-478). London’s message is clear: nature always wins, and disrespecting its rules may lead to fatal consequences.
By describing the protagonist’s challenges and his death at the end of the story, the writer emphasizes the power of nature and its indifference towards an individual’s life. According to Liu, London’s stories prove the dependence of humans on nature and that their ignorant intrusion into it can be punished (17). It is possible to see how frightened and desperate the protagonist becomes when he understands his helplessness (London 475). In this story, nature can be seen as a dangerous and intimidating power having control over people.
Besides the forces of nature, the protagonist of the story is opposed to the fauna, reflected through the dog following him on his way. Liu emphasizes that the mistreatment of animals and its consequences are an important motive of London’s works (17). Indeed, the protagonist treats the dog as his slave and is ready to sacrifice its life to survive, which symbolizes the arrogance of humans towards living things (London 474). On the contrary, the dog is depicted as a clever animal, which follows its instincts to survive. Therefore, through the struggles of the protagonist, London conveys an idea about the vulnerability of humans before nature, which demands respect and cautiousness.
Works Cited
Liu, Yifeng. “Jack London’s Writing Motivation for The Call of the Wild.” Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, vol. 196, 2018, pp. 17-19.
London, Jack. “To Build a Fire.” Jack London: Novels and Stories, edited by Donald Pizer, The Library of America, 1982, pp. 462-478.