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.
Q. What does fire symbolize in to build a fire?
Fire means the difference between life and death in a setting as cold and bleak as the one presented in London’s story. The building of a fire thus symbolizes life in the story, but also life through human knowledge, skill, and technology.
Table of Contents
- Q. What does fire symbolize in to build a fire?
- Q. Why did Jack London wrote to build a fire?
- Q. What happens to the man and the dog at the end of the story?
- Q. Why does the third fire go out apex?
- Q. What does the dog’s behavior reveal about it to build a fire?
- Q. Why did the man make a second fire?
- Q. Why must the man stop and build a second fire in to build a fire?
- Q. Is the man in to build a fire a tragic hero?
- Q. Why is the protagonist in to build a fire nameless?
- Q. What happens to the first fire in to build a fire?
- Q. What is ironic about the man’s response to his frostbite?
Q. Why did Jack London wrote to build a fire?
He wrote “To Build a Fire” while living in that cabin. So, the best guess is probably that this man is a miner on his way to meet other men who are hoping to make a gold strike during the Yukon gold rush of the time.
Q. What happens to the man and the dog at the end of the story?
The man freezes to death, and the dog makes his way to the camp. What happens to the man and the dog at the end of the story? The dog instinctively understands how to respond to nature. The man sees nature asw a problem his mind can solve as long as he “keeps his head.”
Q. Why does the third fire go out apex?
When the time to light a third fire comes, his hands have got frosbitten to keep it burning. The man has managed to light it , but as he knows he will not be able to handle the matches to light it again, he spreads it – snuffs it – out and the fire , finally, goes out.
Q. What does the dog’s behavior reveal about it to build a fire?
The dog is Nature and the man is Man. This shows the Man vs. Nature conflict because he does not respect the dangers presented by his surroundings.
Q. Why did the man make a second fire?
He has learned from the old-timer on Sulfur Creek that he must build a second fire to prevent frostbite to his foot which would prevent him from walking.
Q. Why must the man stop and build a second fire in to build a fire?
1. Why must the man stop and build a second fire? The snow shakes loose (capsizes) and snuffs out the fire. His hands are so frozen that he cannot move them to start the fire.
Q. Is the man in to build a fire a tragic hero?
In Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” we see a classic story of man against nature. Another great aspect of London’s story is its similarities to a Greek tragedy. Our hero is the man striving against the antagonist, nature. His tragic flaw, pride, ultimately leads to his defeat and death.
Q. Why is the protagonist in to build a fire nameless?
The protagonist in “To Build a Fire” is nameless because they are the only human character.
Q. What happens to the first fire in to build a fire?
The naive young man builds his first fire after he attempts to eat his lunch but cannot move his lips to bite into his biscuits. The fire melts the ice on his face and allows him an opportunity to eat his lunch.
Q. What is ironic about the man’s response to his frostbite?
What is alarming/absurd about his reaction to the frostbite? The man is not bothered by the frostbite, thinking of it as a small pain and nothing else. The man does not worry about the cold because he thinks he can overcome it.