To Build a Fire Themes

• eNotes
• quickNotes
• Salem on Literature
• eText (enhanced)
• Related Resources
• Group

To Build a Fire | Themes

‘‘To Build a Fire’’ is about an unnamed man who embarks on a nine-hour trek across the Klondike’s harsh winter landscape to meet his companions at a mining camp. Against the advice of an old-timer, the man makes the journey alone, except for a dog, and as a result of a series of disasters, he freezes to death before reaching camp. The man’s behavior and his ultimate fate highlight the story’s themes of survival in the wilderness, the individual versus nature, and death.

Survival in the Wilderness
Early in the story, it becomes clear that the odds are against the...

[The entire page is 729 words long]

Navigate

See Also:

• - Read the To Build a Fire text online.
• - To Build a Fire summary and study guide in the eNotes.

Tell a friend about To Build a Fire at eNotes.