To Build a Fire by Jack London, Research Paper Example

To Build a Fire by Jack London: A Classical Essay Analysis

The concept of imagery defined under the context of surreal situation that the main character is subjected to specifically identifies well with the distinction on how London tries to bring relative understanding into the thoughts of his readers. Most often than not, classical essays tend to take such an option of presenting their stories and their message to create a sense of realization into the mind of the readers they are aiming to target. Relatively, in the story of Jack London about the man who needed to keep the fire burning in order for him to survive in the midst of cold wilderness, it was rather evident enough to point out that the author wanted to point out to something more than just the actual situation ‘the man’ was involved with. Bringing into account the idea of relative thinking, London wanted his readers to see the relative actuality of the scenes in the story as well as the connective value they have towards life’s realities.

The setting in Yukon and the need to deal with the wilderness in such a cold and dreadful season made it possible for London to create a picture of reality; something the readers would be able to easily relate to. Notably, such thought about a person having to deal with the harsh conditions of the environment presents a man versus nature state of living. Would the man win over nature or would nature’s power turn over the willingness of man to survive? This relenting question specifically drives the readers into a point of realization that London wants to impose more than just the concept of the environment putting down the capacities of mankind to survive. He further notes the actuality of the situation and what symbolical presentations may the man and his environment might actually refer to depending on the personal background of the reader/s.

The character of ‘the man’ is made to appear as realistic as possible. The consistency of his situation with the actual man who lives and tries to survive in the Yukon Mountains could be specifically pictured in a way that would best identify with what the author wants to convey. He wanted to make sure that his readers would be able to picture the scenario; to create a relationship, a connection that would help them engage with the hardships that the man was experiencing in the story. Every description that London used were detailed and specifically determined towards determining the condition of thinking and causal development that the sole character in the story took into account at every turn of time as nature takes away the smallest flicker of hope of surviving away from him.

Dying with dignity; at the end of the story, ‘the man’ decides to give up; to at least die with dignity as he fights for the chance of survival that nature keeps away from him. His desire of remaining strong finally fades and he gives in to the challenge. Knowing that he cannot go further, the man finally accepts defeat and die. Was it a dignified death to simply give up on everything when so much has already been done and accomplished along the way? Somehow, the story intends to show that in times when no hope is somewhat clear for one to cling on, it is easier to give up the fight, not simply because of being weak enough to face the challenge, but because there is no reason to fight anymore. There are times when one needs to consider that enough is enough and the end should not be feared nor should it be shamed with at all. Knowing that the fight was well fought, and that every single inch of possibility of surviving the challenge has been taken into account is enough for one to say that he has conquered what he was expected to conquer; and the end of his journey has finally come to a point of decease, a point where there is no more room for fighting as everything has been accomplished accordingly and yet the desire of survival still remains unreachable.

The concept of existentialism is used by London to further develop the value of his narrative. In the story, he points out the reason why ‘the man’ kept on fighting; why he kept on pushing through even though matters seemed hopeless. Walking through the wilderness and hooping to keep himself warm through the cold environment marked his desire to survive. Lighting up the fire and keeping it flaring to at least keep his feet warm shows how much determined he is to at least be able to see through the winter and be able to survive such cruelty of nature. Careful as he was in determining his path, he was described to have been avoiding pitfalls; he was enthusiastic enough to seek out particular traps that might be the cause of his failure. However, amidst all the determination to seek out chances of avoiding such pitfalls, he still finds himself caught in cold ice. Amidst such adversities, he continues on. This attitude of ‘the man’ makes him a protagonist who tries to distinguish defeat from opportunity; he intended to seek out what possible positive matters could come out from such dangerous situations, and from it he gained hope of surviving each step of his journey.

The small fire he created was the only lingering hope that kept him at his feet. His desire to survive the cold winder was further empowered by the fire he was able to create amidst the cold surroundings. As he tries to keep the life of the fire prolonged, falling snow took away its life. This was when the man realized that it was also time for him to go. He has suffered long enough and has endured as much that he knew it was time to let go.

To note, the story, as mentioned earlier, is a symbolical representation of the realities of human living. There are instances when people are faced with huge problems; as if they are living in an unforgiving environment that they cannot control. During these times, it is often easy for some to lose sight of the hope that they still have especially in relation to how much they would like to survive the challenge of defending themselves from personal thoughts of failure. When everything seems to fail and there seems to be nothing there that goes towards the positive aspect of things, it is rather easy for one to just give it up. However, there are those who remain in the fight. Those who tend to become more involved in the concept of determining their stand in relation to the path of survival they want to take into account. In short, they fight.

Their situations may not be comfortable, but the hope that things would be better later on keeps them thinking of possibly becoming more endowed with their desire to survive life. Finding a reason to remain standing, perhaps a dream or their loved ones, there are people who cling on to a hope of changing tides that could make their lives easier and could bring better options of living for the to take into account. Like the man in the story, there are individuals who remain at the positive side of things and continue to thrive under a course of living that may not be as comforting, but at least surviving even in meager ways.

The point of giving up imposes a strong message on the part of the author’s presentation of events. The readers are led to a point of being involved with the situations the man was expected to deal with. Every turn of event is a vivid presentation of the man’s emotions and his desire to survive the winter. Through imagery and descriptive narrative, London was able to bring about a sense of connection between the readers and the main character of the story. Imagination, being the primary factor being used by the author to entice his readers, provides a distinct option for the readers to actually understand and believe what they are reading through. The readers are lead towards determining a more distinct process of considering themselves in the position of the man, to the point of asking themselves what they would do in case they do take his position in the story.

Giving up, on the part of the man, was rather daunting. It was not expected. Although at some point, some readers have felt tired along the way and may have actually hoped that the man just give things up, there are those who might think otherwise. Knowing that the man has already gone through so many things in the wilderness and have survived each step of the way, would it not be a waste of time, effort and strength to just leave everything behind?

In this part of the story, London teaches his readers another lesson about letting go. Often times, people have specific aspirations or goals they set for themselves to reach. Sometimes, these goals are unrealistic; or at some point simply not fit for their capabilities, skills or their outlook in life. Considerably, as the people cling to such hopes and goals, they develop a sense of frustration. They may have pictured themselves victorious in the end, but the pathway towards such success is just simply daunting. One might try to push through towards such path, however, there would come a point when realizing the facts behind the situation would move one to think things over and to finally see the possibility of improving matters through giving up on one dream that may not have the chance of being fulfilled.

True, not every hope comes into reality. Often times, with considerably impractical goals, people tend to fail in reaching their personal standards and personal expectations on themselves. While it is considered heroic to push through with the desire of determining one’s dreams, it is a waste of time to keep on clinging unto something or someone that might pave the way for such aim to be fulfilled. For instance, while one may want to be a doctor, and has actually maxed out his personal and his family’s savings to attain such goals, he might develop a deeper understanding of the situation and may decide to reconsider his options, especially dedicated to doing something more practical in relation to his capacities and his financial allowances. Does this mean that the person has already given up on the aspect of survival? Definitely not; taking new step forwards and leaving unreachable goals behind need not be confused with the idea of giving up. It just means that one has moved on and accepted the fact that there are some goals that cannot be reached due to some unfortunate circumstances.

The man in the story of London depicts the overall attitude of humans towards their desire to achieve and their desire to live. Every living person wants to achieve something. However, it is most often than not that the path towards attaining such goals is not easy to tread along with. There are challenges, there are points of disappointments along the way. Being prepared for these matters is important; and being able to understand their situation and realize their actual capacities would actually alleviate the possible point of desperation that one might feel as he lets go of a particular goal that he strongly believes in.

In life, there are instances when the people and the surrounding factors to one’s being may become harsh and uncontrollable. During these points of situational development, people often create different options that they could take into account. The hope of surviving life and facing all the challenges it presents is one aspect that the story of London represents. Knowing when to keep the hope alive and when to accept defeat is an important characteristic that not everyone posses. Only those who are strong enough and rational enough to accept defeat are the ones able to survive the challenge of becoming more endowed into several series of situations that are designated to disappoint them and bring them into a realization that their desires cannot be reached anymore. Although the man dies in the end of London’s story, it could be understood that his death meant more than just passing away; it meant being able to accept the end of things and being able to move on forward from such failures in the past. Failure should not be considered as a negative manner, instead, it should be considered as a point of opportunity to improve further. In the story, the man knew when to start and when to stop; and when he decided to stop, he knew it was a mark for a new beginning, maybe not for him, but for those surrounding him.

Works Cited

Mallison, Jane. Book Smart: Your Essential Reading List for Becoming a Literary Genius in 365 Days. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2007.

Bloom, Harold. The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. Appendixes. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994.

Calvino, Italo (1986), The Uses of Literature: Essay, Harcourt, Brace & Company, pp. 128, 130.