Arrogance is a poor trait to have. Most people would claim this statement to be true. Throughout the story “To Build A Fire” by Jack London, he uses point of view, foreshadowing, and irony to display the negative consequences of arrogance. He captures the core values of those literary devices to weave a story that demonstrates and teaches said values.
The literary device point of view is a large factor in the writing style and overall flow of the story. For example, the story is told from the perspective of an omnipotent third person narrator. This benefits the story because the narrator compares and contrasts the thoughts and actions of the unnamed man and his dog. This gives us a broader look at all factors of the story. The narrator also criticizes the man, his beliefs, and his actions quite often. This helps to express the overall theme based on arrogance, as the man displays it quite frequently. If this story were to be told in first person that may not be the case; it may even cause the reader to sympathise with the man. Having a third person narrator also lets the reader see the differences in the two protagonists reactions to the cold and …show more content…
Foreshadowing was used along the man’s trek to hint at future occurrences to come. One such example of this is when the old man of Sulphur Creek dismally warned him of the dangers of traveling alone in temperatures of -50 degrees and colder, but he disregarded the warning. This shows the man’s arrogance in a very clear way helpful to the reader. Another eerie foreshadow of danger was brought forth when the narrator says “fifty degrees below zero stood for a bite of frost that hurt and must be guarded against,” (623). Yet another hint of danger is presented when it talks about the danger of the springs that do not freeze no matter the temperature, which the man eventually fell in and caused him to
The literary device point of view is a large factor in the writing style and overall flow of the story. For example, the story is told from the perspective of an omnipotent third person narrator. This benefits the story because the narrator compares and contrasts the thoughts and actions of the unnamed man and his dog. This gives us a broader look at all factors of the story. The narrator also criticizes the man, his beliefs, and his actions quite often. This helps to express the overall theme based on arrogance, as the man displays it quite frequently. If this story were to be told in first person that may not be the case; it may even cause the reader to sympathise with the man. Having a third person narrator also lets the reader see the differences in the two protagonists reactions to the cold and …show more content…
Foreshadowing was used along the man’s trek to hint at future occurrences to come. One such example of this is when the old man of Sulphur Creek dismally warned him of the dangers of traveling alone in temperatures of -50 degrees and colder, but he disregarded the warning. This shows the man’s arrogance in a very clear way helpful to the reader. Another eerie foreshadow of danger was brought forth when the narrator says “fifty degrees below zero stood for a bite of frost that hurt and must be guarded against,” (623). Yet another hint of danger is presented when it talks about the danger of the springs that do not freeze no matter the temperature, which the man eventually fell in and caused him to