To Build a Fire

To build a fire by Jack London

Explain your overall reaction to the story To build a fire by Jack London What three moments in the story impacted you the most

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This is really asking for your experience with the story. I have always loved this story. Jack London specialized in stories about the wilderness. His running theme involved the raw majesty and power of the elements. Naturalism was London's mantra and this story is a perfect example of this. In "To Build a Fire" the setting is in the Yukon. Unlike the man, the dog has naturalism built into his DNA. The dog and nature are in sync. The dog has been conditioned by generations of evolution and he instinctively understands what to do and when to do it. The dog also has the genetics (has fur) to survive better than man. I found the story perfectly illustrates the frailties of man in the natural environment. Nature is indifferent to mans' pride, hubris, and emotions.