Madison Carver
Project 2
Eng. 1102 Tuesday 11:00
13 September 2015
Literary Analysis of “To Build a Fire” In “To Build a Fire,” Jack London masterfully uses the elements of setting, symbolism, and irony to reveal his perspective on the theme of survival. London uses fire in the story to symbolize life and death while interchangeably using the fire to show the contrast between the man and the wolf dog. Throughout the story, the man realizes how prudent the fire is to his survival. When the snow blots out his fire, it symbolizes how his life is now inarguably running out and the man feels “as though he just heard his own sentence of death” (Kenney and Gioia 131). The fire is also significant to the story because it allows the reader to see the …show more content…
One example of irony is when London allows the dog to survive while relying on instinct and letting the man die when he relied on judgment. The dog uses his instincts to survive and continues to search for other fire providers (135); by doing so, London highlights the fact that sometimes one must rely on instinct instead of man’s clouded judgment. It is ironic in the beginning because the man is overflowing with arrogance and chose not to take the old-timer’s advice, yet in the end he becomes humble and admits the old-timer was right by saying “You were right, old hoss, you were right” (134). Dramatic irony is incorporated into the story when the narrator reveals the true temperature which was much colder than the man believed it to be. Even the dog, who did not know anything about thermometers, experienced a “vague and menacing apprehension that subdued it…” (127). However, the man arrogantly ignored the temperature which resulted in his …show more content…
By his clever incorporation of the setting, symbols, and irony, London was able to send hidden messages to the reader about how one must be careful to not be too prideful or foolish and to rely on instinct for survival. The suspenseful story urges the reader to consider his or her own mortality by how he wrote about the dangerous Yukon and situations that could happen to anyone. The ironic ending of the dog surviving while the man perished emphasizes how one must rely on instinct, and how one must heed the advice from someone more
Project 2
Eng. 1102 Tuesday 11:00
13 September 2015
Literary Analysis of “To Build a Fire” In “To Build a Fire,” Jack London masterfully uses the elements of setting, symbolism, and irony to reveal his perspective on the theme of survival. London uses fire in the story to symbolize life and death while interchangeably using the fire to show the contrast between the man and the wolf dog. Throughout the story, the man realizes how prudent the fire is to his survival. When the snow blots out his fire, it symbolizes how his life is now inarguably running out and the man feels “as though he just heard his own sentence of death” (Kenney and Gioia 131). The fire is also significant to the story because it allows the reader to see the …show more content…
One example of irony is when London allows the dog to survive while relying on instinct and letting the man die when he relied on judgment. The dog uses his instincts to survive and continues to search for other fire providers (135); by doing so, London highlights the fact that sometimes one must rely on instinct instead of man’s clouded judgment. It is ironic in the beginning because the man is overflowing with arrogance and chose not to take the old-timer’s advice, yet in the end he becomes humble and admits the old-timer was right by saying “You were right, old hoss, you were right” (134). Dramatic irony is incorporated into the story when the narrator reveals the true temperature which was much colder than the man believed it to be. Even the dog, who did not know anything about thermometers, experienced a “vague and menacing apprehension that subdued it…” (127). However, the man arrogantly ignored the temperature which resulted in his …show more content…
By his clever incorporation of the setting, symbols, and irony, London was able to send hidden messages to the reader about how one must be careful to not be too prideful or foolish and to rely on instinct for survival. The suspenseful story urges the reader to consider his or her own mortality by how he wrote about the dangerous Yukon and situations that could happen to anyone. The ironic ending of the dog surviving while the man perished emphasizes how one must rely on instinct, and how one must heed the advice from someone more