Deep Survival In Laurence Gonzales To Build A Fire

“The feat of surviving is directly related to the capacity of the survivor.” This quote by novelist and journalist Claire Cameron, displays that surviving depends on what the survivor can understand and do. The short story “Deep Survival” by Laurence Gonzales displays how the protagonist in the short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London did not have the capacity of a survivor. Gonzales wrote twelve steps on how to survive, the protagonist did not do three of these steps. The protagonist did not stay calm, celebrate his successes, or play, which caused his failure to survive.
One reason the main character died is because he did not stay calm. In his crisis, he was not making use of fear, he was being ruled by it (Gonzales 96). For example, the main character, with the intent of killing, reached for the dog and lost total control (London 88). The man at this point in the story knew he was going to lose parts of his body if he did not get warm soon, but he did not use his emotions to an advantage. Next, he was thrown into a panic and started running without intention (London 89). The protagonist realized that it was not just a matter of losing …show more content…
In his crisis, he did not distract his mind to stimulate and calm his brain, which is what determines survival (Gonzales 97). For example, his mind was completely empty. He was not thinking or distracting himself; he focused on everything around him, like the changes in the creek (London 80). Next, he did not use deep activities like reciting poetry or counting to distract himself from the pain. He was constantly aware of the fact he was going to lose fingers if he did not start a fire and warm them (London 86). Finally, he did not entertain his mind. When he got scared of dying he ran blindly, mind empty (London 89). If the man had thought more intellectually and played, he could have calmed himself down and survived. His behavior lead him to his