Mahatma Gandi, a human activist, once said “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man 's need,but not every man 's greed”. This quote accurately describes the plot in the short story “All Gold Canyon”, written by Jack London, about man destroying nature. London, the author, a very versatile writer, a morally sensitive thinker, and an artistic genius. The short story begins with the protagonist, a solitary prospector, coming upon a pristine canyon in the southwestern U.S. The main character of “All Gold Canyon”, a pocket-miner simply named “Bill”, resembles as such a frontier type, possessing the best qualities of that type of person. The canyon seems singular in its pure natural beauty, and London’s description of it is a real tour de force.
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London uses these literary elements throughout the entire story to portray the theme. Bill, the protagonist, portrays as a Northland hero although he consistently destroys the virginal paradise. He bursts nosily upon the quiet, pure land, driven by greed, to find the treasure he searches for. When the miner arrives at the canyon his greed purely driven by greed, the characterization helps portray the idea of humans greed solely driving the destruction. London portrays multiple instances of imagery to describe this virginal canyon. He explains it as pure, still, and quiet before the protagonist comes to tear it all apart. The imagery represents the paradise itself which the miners greed demolishes. Lastly, London uses conflict, including man vs. self and man vs. nature. The miner realizes he entraps himself inside a hole but still continues on his hunt for the gold. The miner then has a feeling that there’s danger around him and still continues on his search driven by the greed inside of him. Moments later a thief attacks him who he ends up killing after a small quarrel, all of this was used to demonstrate the human greed destroying this paradise with death and destruction. Through these literary elements, London clearly illustrates how human greed spoils paradise. Earth could have all the gold in the world, everyone one could have some, and yet still the greed would overcome themselves and we as people would continue to destroy the paradise we live
London uses these literary elements throughout the entire story to portray the theme. Bill, the protagonist, portrays as a Northland hero although he consistently destroys the virginal paradise. He bursts nosily upon the quiet, pure land, driven by greed, to find the treasure he searches for. When the miner arrives at the canyon his greed purely driven by greed, the characterization helps portray the idea of humans greed solely driving the destruction. London portrays multiple instances of imagery to describe this virginal canyon. He explains it as pure, still, and quiet before the protagonist comes to tear it all apart. The imagery represents the paradise itself which the miners greed demolishes. Lastly, London uses conflict, including man vs. self and man vs. nature. The miner realizes he entraps himself inside a hole but still continues on his hunt for the gold. The miner then has a feeling that there’s danger around him and still continues on his search driven by the greed inside of him. Moments later a thief attacks him who he ends up killing after a small quarrel, all of this was used to demonstrate the human greed destroying this paradise with death and destruction. Through these literary elements, London clearly illustrates how human greed spoils paradise. Earth could have all the gold in the world, everyone one could have some, and yet still the greed would overcome themselves and we as people would continue to destroy the paradise we live