Nature is frequently considered the victim of mankind. From clearing rainforests, overfishing waters, to stripping the soil, people constantly exploit nature's resources for personal benefit. People are accused of destroying innocent nature for corrupt and selfish purposes. However, to only label mankind as predatory is mistaken: nature ruthlessly preys upon humanity. People are rendered helpless by cruel natural disasters, violent weather, and extreme temperature. Mankind is arguably the true victim of cruel nature. Thus, nature is the villain of Jack London's short story "To Build a Fire" which follows a man's trek through the frigid Yukon in pursuit of lumber. The man's original mission for wood is instantly transformed into an uphill battle
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London's descriptions of invasive frost reflect an intense and fatal cold, revealing nature to be a threatening force. Even the man’s dog, a husky built for frigid environments is affected by the cold: "the frozen moisture of its breathing had settled on its fur in a fine powder of frost, and especially were its jowls, muzzle, and eyelashes whitened by its crystallized breath” (2). Furthermore, the man's clothing is completely iced over; his moccasins were “covered with ice; the thick German socks were like sheaths of iron halfway to the knees, and the moccasin strings were like rods of steel all twisted and knotted as by some conflagration” (6). London vividly describes the severity of the cold; the frost is extremely intrusive, coating both the dog and the man with ice. London also describes the effects of the cold on the man's body. Once the man stops to build a fire, the pumping blood that warmed his extremities suddenly sinks "down into the recesses of his body. . . noses and cheeks were already freezing, while the skin of all his body chilled as it lost its blood” (5). London constructs a stirring image of the man , strikingly pallid and bloodless. The vivid language effectively describes the intense chill and pain the man experiences. The physical descriptions of the man's bloodless body reflect the brutal effects of the cold. London’s vivid imagery illustrates the intensity of Yukon’s cold and the man's fragility, implying that people are against the threats of
London's descriptions of invasive frost reflect an intense and fatal cold, revealing nature to be a threatening force. Even the man’s dog, a husky built for frigid environments is affected by the cold: "the frozen moisture of its breathing had settled on its fur in a fine powder of frost, and especially were its jowls, muzzle, and eyelashes whitened by its crystallized breath” (2). Furthermore, the man's clothing is completely iced over; his moccasins were “covered with ice; the thick German socks were like sheaths of iron halfway to the knees, and the moccasin strings were like rods of steel all twisted and knotted as by some conflagration” (6). London vividly describes the severity of the cold; the frost is extremely intrusive, coating both the dog and the man with ice. London also describes the effects of the cold on the man's body. Once the man stops to build a fire, the pumping blood that warmed his extremities suddenly sinks "down into the recesses of his body. . . noses and cheeks were already freezing, while the skin of all his body chilled as it lost its blood” (5). London constructs a stirring image of the man , strikingly pallid and bloodless. The vivid language effectively describes the intense chill and pain the man experiences. The physical descriptions of the man's bloodless body reflect the brutal effects of the cold. London’s vivid imagery illustrates the intensity of Yukon’s cold and the man's fragility, implying that people are against the threats of