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To Build a Fire: Difference between revisions
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The importance of community as opposed to self-reliance in survival and growth is emphasized in “Fire.”{{sfn|Sipiora|2002|p=161}} | The importance of community as opposed to self-reliance in survival and growth is emphasized in “Fire.”{{sfn|Sipiora|2002|p=161}} | ||
Critic Donald Pizer explains how the limit of individualism is a key theme in this story. {{sfn|Pizer|2010|p=219}} The protagonist of the novel frequently claims his ability to travel alone and feels he can survive the harsh winter conditions. {{sfn|Pizer|2010|p=220}} Despite the cautions of the old man at Sulphur Creek, he refuses to travel with a companion, which ultimately leads to his death. {{sfn|Pizer|2010|p=221}}The man is unaware of the value of receiving assistance from others and believes that his own abilities will assure his survival. Apart from declining to go with a companion, the man demonstrates independence by dismissing the old man's wisdom and ignoring experience and guidance. The fact that the old man is an American in unfamiliar terrain is one piece of information that we are provided with. Individual freedoms and liberties are prized in American culture, and London's experience exemplifies the risks that these beliefs can engender. | Critic Donald Pizer explains how the limit of individualism is a key theme in this story. {{sfn|Pizer|2010|p=219}} The protagonist of the novel frequently claims his ability to travel alone and feels he can survive the harsh winter conditions. {{sfn|Pizer|2010|p=220}} Despite the cautions of the old man at Sulphur Creek, he refuses to travel with a companion, which ultimately leads to his death. {{sfn|Pizer|2010|p=221}}The man is unaware of the value of receiving assistance from others and believes that his own abilities will assure his survival. Apart from declining to go with a companion, the man demonstrates independence by dismissing the old man's wisdom and ignoring experience and guidance. The fact that the old man is an American in unfamiliar terrain is one piece of information that we are provided with. Individual freedoms and liberties are prized in American culture, and London's experience exemplifies the risks that these beliefs can engender. | ||
A theme of "To Build A Fire" by London, is self destruction. The protagonist not only ignores the old-timers warning to travel with a partner, lacks imagination but he is incapable of companionability. {{sfn|Hillier|2010|p=173}} He traveled alone except for a wolf dog, in which he treated with contempt and hostility. {{sfn|Hillier|2010|p=173}} Not only by trying to use him to check for faults in the ice, at the end he thought about killing him to warm his hands. The protagonist also contuses to chew tobacco causing a amber beard to form, which later obstructs his his mouth when tries to eat. {{sfn|Hillier|2010|p=175}} Then we are presented by the repetition of him trying to build a fire and failing again and again at his own despise. first by having the fire blotted out by an avalanche of snow, second, by having his book of Sulphur matches extinguished in one fell, and third by having fire snuffed out by a large piece of moss. {{sfn|Hillier|2010|p=173}} These failed attempts show that his arrogance and unwillingness to listen to others will lead to his own down fall. | |||
==Development History== | ==Development History== | ||