How important is the setting to the character development?

Through the setting, London shows us how the man (main character) is completely unaware and ignorant of his surroundings. The only true knowledge the man possesses is that of the world he was raised and accustomed to. He'd never been exposed to the type of weather found in the Yukon, something that will cost him dearly. The setting is a source of foreshadowing, as each of the man's experiences bring him closer to disaster and death.