Rhetorical Devices Used In To Build A Fire
Jack London’s short story, To Build a Fire, takes place in the remote and bitterly cold wilderness of the Yukon in Alaska. It is about the journey of a man versus mother nature, a common aspect of any Naturalistic story. Naturalism is a subgenre of realism that consists of themes that typically focuses natural forces, specifically; heredity, the environment, economic circumstances, or simply luck or chance. It can also focus on man versus society or political institutions. Jack London uses rhetorical devices such as personification in order to give human characteristics to the environment. He also uses foreshadowing to exemplify the power of nature, as well as represent mother nature through the dog that accompanies the main character. From …show more content…
It gives nature a “face” so the audience can more vividly imagine what the environment looks like. It as well showcases nature as a larger being, a titan possibly if the audience knows any ancient Greek stories. For the main character, he must face the wrath of the world as he travels the road not taken in Alaska. London also personifies nature as having thin skin later in the story by saying, “He had felt the give under his feet and heard the crackle of a snow-hidden ice-skin (36).” Again, he makes nature act more realistic by personifying it with a human …show more content…
Throughout, the dog acted strictly on instinct, whether it was fear of the man or the need to be near a fire, it represented how nature acts with or without the involvement of mankind. Another thing to mention is the dog’s ability to understand the impact of the cold weather versus the man. Mankind’s downfall in the story was the habit of underestimating events that could hurt them. The dog, acting as nature, cared about surviving in the wilderness, and it did whatever it could to live. When the man dies by the end, the dog walks away from his cold corpse to go find another “fire and food-provider” for it to survive with. Although mankind inherits instincts from nature, what they suffer from is the ability to ignore it by being able to think critically and have an advanced conscious. The dog thinks by instinct alone, and that is why it survived longer than the man could
Character Analysis Of Mccandless In 'Into The Wild'
748 Words | 3 PagesThroughout the novel “Into the Wild” the character Mccandless had planned to leave off on his own to explore the forest of Alaska. Mccandless was the son of a wealthy parents, he left them with the intention to show or prove something to himself and his family, after he left without telling them. He had donated all his money he had earned and gave it all to charity and practically gave up all his possessions. This young man was not prepared to be out in the wild since he did not have the right equipment and food supplies to survive out in the wild. He was later found dead inside of a school bus that had been sitting in the wild for years.
The Red Convertible By Louise Erdrich And Ethan Frome By Edith Wharton
320 Words | 2 PagesThe nature in the stories we have read have shaped the stories through their characters and the overall theme. The two pieces of writing that had nature the most prominent in the story was “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich and Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. In the story of “The Red Convertible” there is multiple examples of nature that effect the tone of that part of the story. When Henry and Lyman drive one summer to Alaska they “never wanted to leave” (Erdrich 326). At this time the two brothers had a great relationship and the nature around them complies with this good relationship.
To Build A Fire By Jack London Analysis
862 Words | 4 PagesKayla Cornileus Professor Christian Faught Literature 221 28 January 2018 A Critical Analysis of “To Build a Fire” by Jack London. The story of “To Build a Fire” by Jack London is a short story about survival that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Jack London is a California man who was born and raised in there.
Comparing Death In Chekhov's Gusev And To Build A Fire
870 Words | 4 PagesAfter nearly freezing to death, the protagonist has a brief vision of killing his dog and using its body for warmth, showing that he has failed to use the advice of both men on the trail and of the dog, and can finally only use them for the most archaic and animalist benefit of his
Essay On The Man In Jack London's To Build A Fire
588 Words | 3 Pages“The man was shocked. It was though he had just heard his own sentence of death” (London 85). The bitter, Yukon climate proposed numerous problems for the man in Jack London’s “ To Build a Fire.” Often times, the man’s foolishness caused him to be unprepared in terms of survival.
Key Themes In The Call Of The Wild
195 Words | 1 PagesThe novel “Call Of the Wild”, by Jack London, explains many themes throughout the book. An important theme throughout the novel is “Kill or be killed.” While Buck is trying to adapt to his new surroundings, he has to learn how to survive and fight. Each owner and dog in the novel has to survive for themselves just like Buck does throughout the whole novel. If Buck doesn’t kill for food or for his new owners throughout the novel, he could be killed himself.
Primitive Instincts In Jack London's The Call Of The Wild
771 Words | 4 PagesPrimitive instincts is a major theme when one closely examines the changes Buck undergoes from a civilized dog into a wild dog. Buck was raised in a lavish lifestyle, however when he is kidnapped this all changes. Alaska's harsh environment brings out Buck's primitive instincts buried deep within him. It is necessary for these traits to be expressed because surviving is key in Alaska and living in California, these traits would never have been seen. The wilderness appeals to Buck's new wild side and he goes out there to live with the other wild animals when his owner dies.
Jack London's To Build A Fire And The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell
1498 Words | 6 PagesThe struggle of man versus nature long has dwelt on the consciousness of humanity. Is man an equal to his environment? Can the elements be conquered, or only endured? We constantly find ourselves facing these questions along with a myriad of others that cause us to think, where do we fit? These questions, crying for a response, are debated, studied, and portrayed in both Jack London’s “
Man And Nature In Jack London's To Build A Fire
1424 Words | 6 PagesJack London tell the short story of a man traveling the Yukon trail. As this man starts the trail, he is easily on his way passing every challenge thrown at him. It is 75 degrees below zero. The man seems to be forgetting about the dangers of travelling alone on the Yukon at night in the harsh winter. All of this does not seem to matter as he is overly excited to go see his boys at a camp down the creek.
Argumentative Essay: 'To Build A Fire'
674 Words | 3 PagesArgumentative Essay In “To Build a Fire,” the story of an unnamed man traveling along the Yukon Trail with a dog is told. Throughout the story, the man’s death is foreshadowed. The husky that he is traveling with has a natural instinct and understands, seemingly more than the man, that traveling the Yukon Trail in the freezing cold temperatures is extremely dangerous. The man soon learns how cold it is when he spits.
Examples Of Naturalism In To Build A Fire
759 Words | 4 PagesIn my opinion, the author wrote this story in order to make people awe for the natural environment instead of destroying them. “The movement of naturalism was greatly influenced by the 19th-century ideas of Social Darwinism, which was in turn influenced by Charles Darwin 's theories on evolution. Social Darwinism applied to the human environment the evolutionary concept that natural environments alter an organism’s biological makeup over time through natural selection. Social Darwinists and naturalists cited this as proof that organisms, including humans, do not have free will, but are shaped, or determined, by their environment and biology. Naturalists argued that the deterministic world is based on a series of links, each of which causes the next.
Comparing The Man And Dog In Jack London's To Build A Fire
738 Words | 3 PagesIn the story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London and the short film “To Build a Fire” Directed by David Cobham a man and dog were traveling through the Yukon trail because of the gold rush. While they were travling through the Yukon trail they ran into problems along the way. During the problems the man and dog thought differently and similarly. The man and dog think differently in some situations like when the man or chechaquo(New comer) was trying to kill the dog. The man and dog also think similarly in other situations like, they both have the same idea of survival.
Natural Imagery In Shakespeare's Macbeth
722 Words | 3 PagesRegardless of where one lives, nature surrounds them. It is quiet in the winter, blossoms in the spring, flourishes in the summer, and then finally it lays to rest in autumn. Often in literature, writers utilize natural imagery because it is something that can be easily understood by everybody regardless of race, gender, religion, creed, and ethnicity. This imagery provides a deeper understanding of the book, play, story, or poem for the reader. The prominent playwright William Shakespeare uses natural imagery throughout his play Macbeth to foreshadow upcoming events in the plot (or provide a deeper understanding of the play/its characters).
Naturalism In American Literature
902 Words | 4 PagesThe concept of naturalism is common in American literature. Naturalism was developed in the nineteenth century when scientific advancements were at a peak in society. These advancements ushered a more naturalistic way of writing and prose. This way of writing is demonstrated through the works of Jack London’s, “What Life Means to Me”, and Stephan Crane’s, “An Open Boat”. Within these stories, both of the protagonists are placed in unfortunate situations that are beyond the ability of the characters to control.
To Build A Fire Man Vs Nature
884 Words | 4 PagesThe short story, To Build A Fire by Jack London demonstrates the man’s powerlessness compared to the forces of nature. It is the man’s ego that prompts him to challenge nature by embarking on the journey while he understands well that he will encounter the full wrath of extreme weather condition. Additionally, the man 's powerlessness is seen in the setting of the action, his lack of identity and the author 's depiction of the mightiness of nature. Besides, the protagonist effort to overcome nature is faced with equal efforts from the latter to defeat him as seen in his failure to light a fire. It is for these reasons that this paper maintains that the story, To Build A Fire by Jack London, is a true manifestation of the conflict between man and nature and which although the former initiate he losses to the latter in
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