In To Build A Fire, the man’s attitude towards the land changes drastically as the situation becomes a matter of life or immediate death. In the beginning of the story, the man is very confident in his ability to survive the journey in the wilderness, despite being a chechaquo or “newcomer in the land.” (Allen et al., 2012, p. 82) He was not prepared with the necessary equipment or knowledge for this journey. He didn’t protect his cheeks or nose, which would eventually suffer from frostbite. “He was sure to frost his cheeks; he knew that, and experienced a pang of regret that he had not devised a nose strap of the sort...” (Allen et al., 2012, p. 84) He also forgot to make a fire to thaw himself out when stopping to eat a biscuit. The severity
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The old timer said, “no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below”. (Allen et al., 2012, p. 89) The man called the old timers womanish and implied that any man could travel the Klondike alone because he was did it himself and was able to act quickly when he got wet. He even befriended a native husky and failed to interpret the behavior of it when the weather gets colder. “But the dog knew; all its ancestry knew, and it had inherited the knowledge.” (Allen et al., 2012, p. 87) The dog was reluctant to cross over what might be hidden ice and to continue travelling but the man forces him to do …show more content…
He knew that he wasn’t capable of doing this alone. He knew he should have listened the the old timer. He mentions, “Perhaps, the old timer on Sulphur Creek was right.” (Allen et al., 2012, p. 89) The man’s extremities get painfully numb and he starts to panic as he fails to start another fire. He keeps reflecting on the old timer’s advice as he gets closer to his fate. “The old timer on Sulphur Creek was right, [...] after fifty below, a man should travel with a partner.” (Allen et al., 2012, p. 91) He grows desperate to not die and attempts to kill the husky in order to warm himself but the husky follows his intuition. Knowing that death is inevitable, the man reflects on the old timer’s advice once more before dying. “ You were right, old hoss; you were right.” (Allen et al., 2012, p.
The old timer said, “no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below”. (Allen et al., 2012, p. 89) The man called the old timers womanish and implied that any man could travel the Klondike alone because he was did it himself and was able to act quickly when he got wet. He even befriended a native husky and failed to interpret the behavior of it when the weather gets colder. “But the dog knew; all its ancestry knew, and it had inherited the knowledge.” (Allen et al., 2012, p. 87) The dog was reluctant to cross over what might be hidden ice and to continue travelling but the man forces him to do …show more content…
He knew that he wasn’t capable of doing this alone. He knew he should have listened the the old timer. He mentions, “Perhaps, the old timer on Sulphur Creek was right.” (Allen et al., 2012, p. 89) The man’s extremities get painfully numb and he starts to panic as he fails to start another fire. He keeps reflecting on the old timer’s advice as he gets closer to his fate. “The old timer on Sulphur Creek was right, [...] after fifty below, a man should travel with a partner.” (Allen et al., 2012, p. 91) He grows desperate to not die and attempts to kill the husky in order to warm himself but the husky follows his intuition. Knowing that death is inevitable, the man reflects on the old timer’s advice once more before dying. “ You were right, old hoss; you were right.” (Allen et al., 2012, p.