A Critique of Jack Londons To Build a Fire :: London To Build a Fire Essays

A Critique of Jack Londons To Build a FireKaren Rhodes analyzed to build a fire in a cultural context. He believed Londons works were written so that he could survive in a world he increasingly came to see as rubor 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 dog-tired in Canadas Yukon Territory. London depicted arctic and very cold conditions finishedout the story. Rhodes believed to build a fire represented Londons Naturalistic Flavor. It pits one man solely against the overwhelming forces of record(Karen Rhodes, 1). He also believed to build a fire can either be interpreted as the Pioneer American bed 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 cognise 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 overlook for his dog. The mans 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 constitution of himself and his environment (Karen Rhodes, 2). I think his is a fine criticism of Londons to build a fire. London had made use of his life experiences in writing the story.I agree with Karen Rhodes observation that to build afirecan be interpreted as the story of a man in the journey of human existence. However, I think her medical prognosis of to build a fire as an American experience comes from the fact that she is an American. I agree with her theory that the Mans death in the end was due to the nature of the man and his environment. The protagonist in to build a fire did nor have any grasp of the danger he was in. he trie d to reason himself through it all. He thought, Maybe, if he ran on, his feet will thaw out and anyway if he ran far enough, he would reach camp and the boys. (Jack London, 157).