Pride In Jack London's To Build A Fire

The story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London was “London’s masterpiece” (To Build a Fire). It told a very powerful story of a man trying to overcome nature, but his attitude about the situation ultimately led him to failure; the message of the story is very grim because it ultimately led to death. The author used all of the elements of fiction to show that pride should not control actions because sometimes it leads to faulty logic. The setting, character, symbol, tone and style contribute to the overall theme of the story which is pride leads to downfall.
The setting of the story contributes to the theme of the story by creating a very serious situation for the main character. The extreme “primarily continental subarctic” (Smith) weather was …show more content…
Throughout the story, the main character has a prideful way of thinking about things; this is shown by the thoughts and comments of the main character. He is very prideful and “holds a high opinion of himself” (Ethics) which is shown when he is nearing death, and “He sat up and entertained in his mind the conception of meeting death with dignity” (London 121). Even though he knows he has been defeated, he still decides to keep his pride and “take it with decently” (London 121). The tone and style of the story shows the main characters thinking and attitude towards the situation which ultimately led him to failure.
In conclusion, the story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London teaches a very important lesson; it is a “powerful vehicle for London’s grim message” (To Build a Fire). It shows that a person should not let pride control their actions because sometimes it lead to faults in a person’s logic. The main character sealed his fate of downfall when he decided to let his pride and faulty logic control his actions. The setting, character, symbol, tone and style paired together in this story contribute to the overall theme of the story which is pride leads to