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Klondike Gold Rush Arrogance

709 Words3 Pages

Arrogance, cockiness, and yearning are all examples of things that can kill you in a glimpse of an eye. This story is set in the Yukon during the great “Klondike Gold Rush.” Many people traveled to Yukon in Canada in search of a great fortune. However the cost was unknown to many; with degrees below zero, many people would die. With all this, eventually the bearded man of the story decided he would join in on this. He traveled many many miles to come across an older man who warned him of the icy cold unforgiving mountains. The man ignored his warning and went on with his adventure. In doing this the man displayed not only cockiness but arrogance and yearning. Jack London; the writer of this story, was not only a very detailed author but very …show more content…

The man was doomed from the beginning; his lack of assets and the skills required to go into the cold mountains left him vulnerable. He believed that if he went out seeking a challenge and to prove his manhood he would come out unscathed. However this was untrue and is the reason he eventually had died frozen and alone in the unforgiving colds of the mountain. The way in which he died showed us that he was Arrogant, cocky, and felt the need to be superior. The wolf that stayed faithful to the man was the only soul that accompanied him on his suicide mission. “On the other hand, there was no keen intimacy between the dog and the man. The one was the toil slave of the other, and the only caresses it had ever received were the caresses of the whiplash and of harsh and menacing throat sounds that threatened the whiplash.” It is also thought that the wolf only stayed around the man for his food or supplies while another theory is that the wolf has a loyal side to it. All in all this is a story that teaches you to appreciate your surroundings and that the wilderness can be unforgiving and harsh. “The thought of death drove him on, but he ran no more than a hundred feet, when he staggered and pitched headlong. It was his last panic. When he had recovered his breath and control, he sat up and entertained in his mind the conception of meeting death with dignity.” This can be seen as admirable because the man gained back his composure even after knowing he would die after doing

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