A common literary thread between Jack London’s To Build a Fire and Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game is the specific allusions to historical backgrounds surrounding the individual authors time periods, such as the story protagonists (To Build a Fire the un-named man is a “newcomer” or migrant, and in The Most Dangerous Game Rainsford is an American). Although both works of fiction are about two different subjects, both narratives display familiar motifs. For instance, they share a theme of persevering in harsh environments. The short stories both utilize this theme through the narration on the surroundings of the protagonists; The harsh cold, or the threatening jungle.
Jack London based his writing on the 1896 Yukon Gold Rush, which was a mass migration to Canada and Alaska. The main character in the story is described as a “newcomer” and is in search of his friends in a mining camp, which alludes to the fact that this man is a migrant on his way to mine for gold. In Connell’s narrative, it was written in 1924 around the time of the …show more content…
As the unknown man in London's story travels through the bitter Yukon territory, the conditions he must endure become gradually worse. His situation goes from being able to produce a “roaring fire” to trying to “kill the dog and bury his hands in the warm body until feeling returned to them. Then he could build another fire”. Even though he seems to be ludicrous, the man shows immense determination, even when he realizes he is going to die he is humbled. As for The Most Dangerous Game Rainsford is in completely different situation, but when he first falls off the yacht, he’s pertinacious about getting to safety. Just after meeting Zaroff, Rainsford is thrown into the jungle to survive and he pulls together all his experience with hunting, in his efforts to stay alive. His fear of being killed by Zaroff keeps him directed towards self
Jack London based his writing on the 1896 Yukon Gold Rush, which was a mass migration to Canada and Alaska. The main character in the story is described as a “newcomer” and is in search of his friends in a mining camp, which alludes to the fact that this man is a migrant on his way to mine for gold. In Connell’s narrative, it was written in 1924 around the time of the …show more content…
As the unknown man in London's story travels through the bitter Yukon territory, the conditions he must endure become gradually worse. His situation goes from being able to produce a “roaring fire” to trying to “kill the dog and bury his hands in the warm body until feeling returned to them. Then he could build another fire”. Even though he seems to be ludicrous, the man shows immense determination, even when he realizes he is going to die he is humbled. As for The Most Dangerous Game Rainsford is in completely different situation, but when he first falls off the yacht, he’s pertinacious about getting to safety. Just after meeting Zaroff, Rainsford is thrown into the jungle to survive and he pulls together all his experience with hunting, in his efforts to stay alive. His fear of being killed by Zaroff keeps him directed towards self