The Significance Of The Frontier In Jack London's To Build A Fire
The stories by Frederick Jackson Turner and Jack London are recognized to be the benchmarks of facing the great frontier in the way that they view the aspect of the wilderness and how it has a great effect on man and his ability to survive. However, the authors themselves could not have been more different in their approach about the subject. Frederick Jackson Turner credits the American frontier as the one main focus in shaping the American character. In The Significance of the Frontier in American History, he expresses the journey that is “The result is that to the frontier the American intellect owes its striking characteristics.” (Turner 1136). However, Jack London shows how a man’s surroundings can overtake him. In his story To Build a Fire, “The trouble with …show more content…
He was warned by a seasoned old man who told him of the dangers in his decision. The traveler, who was new to the area and had never been in the extreme elements, ignores all the signs of danger as he and his wolf-dog starts out on their journey. As the story progresses, the traveler finds himself in several difficult situations. The temperature was the first major sign of the danger of his decision. “Fifty degrees below zero was to him just precisely fifty degree below zero. That there would be anything more to it than that was a thought that never entered his head.” (London 1048). The trail had over a foot of new snow on it since the last sled had traveled on it was another sign of the traveler’s folly in the journey, but again he ignored this and kept on his journey. In the end the traveler freezes to death and the wolf-dog follows his instinct to find “the other food-providers and fire-providers.” (London 1058). The traveler never uses his will to survive as a guiding force in his decision making plan and is unable or unwilling to admit his defeat until his own
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Frederick Jackson Turner's Significance Of The Frontier In American History
324 Words | 2 PagesFrederick Jackson Turner was a major figure among American historians who lived during the years between 1861 to 1932. His famous essay, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History,” was published in 1893 and he became known for his studious exploration of American history during the United States’ westward expansion. Frederick Turner stated in an interview that his interest in the study of American frontier’s past, because of his upbringing in Wisconsin which is a newly emerged state from its own trail-blazing past. Turner earned his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and where he met a noteworthy teacher, Professor William Francis Allen, who guided him toward the study of history. Turner attended John Hopkins University
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Frontier Myth In American Culture
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Comparing The Man And Dog In Jack London's To Build A Fire
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The Powers Of Nature In Jack London's To Build A Fire
1571 Words | 7 PagesIf man were to face nature, man will always lose if not accompanied by another. The powers of nature are much stronger than a single human body. Sometimes nature can be cruel, and other times it can be beautiful. In the story of, “To Build a Fire”, the character faces nature head on, alone. He had no company other than the dog that followed him around.
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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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