Note the way that the cold is clearly linked in with the power of nature, and the man is shown to be unable to grasp his own “frailty.” Interestingly, the dog, throughout the story seems to be able to do what the man cannot.

In “To Build a Fire,” the dog symbolizes the superior power of instinct over intellect. The dog uses its instincts to survive the dangerously cold weather, whereas the man perishes.

Nature, as the antagonist in “To Build a Fire,” is not a reasoning or deliberate force, but rather an environment, in which man can live or die regardless of intent. Nature does not care about anything, since it has no mind; the man in nature seeks to tame it with his own power.

The moral lesson in Jack London’s short story “To Build a Fire” is that people should not think they are more powerful than nature. In addition, people should listen to others who have more experience than they do.

He represents nature and natural instinct for survival. The dog in “To Build a Fire” represents animal instinct and acts as a bridge between humans and the natural world. The dog is clearly still a part of the natural world as it retains its instincts and understands how to survive the cold weather without human tools.

Basic situation, rising action, foreshadowing, climax, resolution, and the theme

The Man

The other answer replied that the protagonist of “To Build a Fire” is called simply “the man” and that he froze to death at the end of the story.

Jack London’s short story, “To Build a Fire,” is the tragic tale of a man who decides to travel alone through the hostile environment of the Yukon in sub-freeing temperatures and falls victim to the unrelenting and unforgiving power of nature.

Finally, he tries to restore his circulation by running toward the camp, but stumbles and falls multiple times in the snow. The man feels the cold gradually freezing him to his core, and he ultimately falls asleep and dies of hypothermia.

At the end of the story, once the dog smells death as he approaches the man’s body, the dog abandons the body to find other humans in the camp. The dog’s relationship with the man is shown to be impersonal and unemotional.