illustration fo a man in winter clothes lying on the snow under a tree with a dog standing near him

To Build a Fire

by Jack London

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Character Development in "To Build a Fire" by Jack London

Summary:

In Jack London's "To Build a Fire," the man's character evolves from confident arrogance to fatal realization. Initially dismissive of warnings about traveling alone in extreme cold, he believes in his invincibility. As the story progresses, his confidence erodes after misjudging the weather and failing to maintain a crucial fire. London uses both direct and indirect characterization to depict the man's lack of imagination and stubbornness, ultimately leading to his tragic acceptance of death as he acknowledges his fatal mistakes.

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How does the man's thinking change throughout "To Build a Fire" by Jack London?

In the short story, "To Build a Fire" by Jack London , the newcomer heads out for his camp and ignores the advice of the old timers that it is too cold to travel alone. He is sure that he will be all right and is accompanied by his dog.  As he stops for lunch, he builds a fire to stay warm while he eats and is truly surprised at how fast his hand freezes even near the fire.  Still, he decides to go on even though he is now much more concerned as is the dog who is reluctant to leave the fire.  Now the man makes the dog walk in front of him in case the ice breaks and getting wet would mean death without a fire.  Eventually the man does break through the ice, gets wet, and desperately tries to start a fire. Because he places the fire...

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under a tree like a rookie, the small fire causes the snow to let loose and covers the fire, killing it. The man then considers killing the dog to use its carcass for warmth. When the dog moves away out of reach, the man knows he must start a fire or die.  When he cannot start a fire, he sits down to face death, knowing now that he should have listened to the old timers.  The dog waits for fire and when it does not come, moves off to find another fire builder.

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How does London develop character in "To Build a Fire"?

Like most good character building, London uses a mixture of direct and indirect characterization to build the character of the man. Additionally, London makes more use of indirect characterization than direct.  

Direct characterization is when the author expressly tells readers details about a character. In "To Build a Fire," this occurs when the narrator tells readers that the man doesn't have the ability to imagine.  

The trouble with him was that he was not able to imagine.

A bit later, the narrator also tells readers that the man is observant:

Empty as the man’s mind was of thoughts, he was most observant. He noticed the changes in the creek, the curves and the bends. And always he noted where he placed his feet.

The above quote contains a bit of indirect characterization as well. Indirect characterization occurs when an author shows readers what kind of person a character is through the character’s thoughts, words, and deeds. This requires readers to make inferences about a character. The above character description doesn't tell readers that the man is careful about his actions, but it is indicated by the fact that he takes the time to note where he will be placing his feet.  

Another character trait that readers can get about the man from indirect characterization is that he is stubborn and used to doing things his own way no matter what anybody else says. In a bit of a flashback, the narrator tells readers that the man was told not to go out alone in weather as cold as it is. The man ignores this advice believing that he is completely capable of handling anything that nature throws at him. I believe the following quote even paints the man as pompous:

He remembered the advice of the old man on Sulphur Creek, and smiled. The man had been very serious when he said that no man should travel alone in that country after 50 below zero. Well, here he was; he had had the accident; he was alone; and he had saved himself. Those old men were rather womanish, he thought.

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How does the man evolve in the story "To Build a Fire"?

The most obvious way the man changes in "To Build a Fire" is that by the end of the story, he is dead. More important, however, are the psychological changes he goes through on his journey. The man begins his journey with great confidence, becomes progressively more apprehensive about the cold, and finally comes to realize that his decision to travel alone was a fatal mistake.

The man, who is new to the Yukon, begins the story as confident and arrogant. Although the old-timers have warned him against traveling alone in the extreme cold, the man scoffs at caution. He has the egotism of youth and a strong faith in his own personal immortality.

This confidence continues even when he stops for lunch and, incredibly, forgets to build a fire first so that he can remove his mittens to eat. Even though he has made this mistake, he takes heart in having the ability to recognize it and build a fire quickly.

The man's confidence is shaken when he wets his feet falling through the ice into an unfrozen creek. He knows enough to understand that this is an emergency and that he has to stop, build a fire, and dry his socks and shoes. He begins to recognize how dangerous the cold is and how little margin for error there can be. But he is too cold and exhausted to build his fire away from the trees. His fate is sealed when snow from the tree overhead falls on his fire, extinguishing it.

At this point, panic starts to set in. His fingers badly frozen, the man tries to start another fire but cannot manipulate the matches successfully. At this failure, he understands that he is going to die, and becomes desperate. But his body is slowly freezing; he cannot use his hands or feet to do anything to save himself.

Finally, he decides to meet his death with dignity and arranges himself against a tree to fall asleep.

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