Essay Comparing Jack London And To Build A Fire

Jack London is a legendary writer of adventure tales. White Fang, The Call of the Wild, and To Build a Fire are a few of his many published stories. Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild follows the story of the young Chris McCandless as he experiences the wild places of North America. Chris leaves his family, changes his name to Alexander Supertramp, and lives a nomadic life until his untimely end in Alaska. London’s To Build a Fire tells of an inexperienced man who ventures into the Yukon accompanied only by his dog. Chris/Alex shares characteristics with the man in To Build a Fire. Also, the experiences of the two men are similar. They are both in the wilderness and are newcomers to the areas they are in. It was the man’s first winter in the Yukon, and Alex’s first experience in an area so wild and remote. Another fact that cannot be overlooked is Alex’s admiration of Jack London and his stories. It’s safe to assume he had read To Build a Fire, but what did he take from it? Did he …show more content…
The earlier days of expedition and exploration would have suited him well. Nevertheless, he was able to experience a great deal of exciting things in his short life, from the deserts of the southwestern United States to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the desolate wilderness of Alaska. His adoration of Jack London’s stories fueled the fire of wanderlust in his heart, driving him to move and experience life. Jack London’s To Build a Fire featured an overconfident man who ventured into the wilderness of the Yukon alone, very similar to Alex’s Alaskan adventure. The man believed he was exempt from the rules of the Yukon, and thought he could get out of any situation that arose. He did well at first, but made mistakes that he was unable to recover from. Alex ventured into the Alaskan wilderness with an underpowered rifle and very little supplies, lived his dream for a while, but ultimately could not save