TO BUILD A

FIRE

BY :JACK LONDON
"The trouble with him was that he was without imagination. He was quick
and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the
significances."
JACK
Jack London (1876–1916) was an American writer, journalist, and
LONDON adventurer known for his realistic adventure stories and themes of
survival, nature’s power, and social justice. Born into poverty in San
1876-1916 Francisco, he worked various jobs, including as a sailor and a factory
worker, before traveling as a hobo across the U.S., where he
experienced the struggles of the working class. In 1897, he joined the
Klondike Gold Rush, enduring extreme hardships that inspired his
famous works like The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and To Build a Fire.
Influenced by Naturalism and Darwin’s theory of evolution, London’s
stories often depicted humans struggling against the forces of nature,
showing that survival depended on adaptability rather than
intelligence or strength. A committed socialist, he believed in workers’
rights and criticized capitalism in books like The Iron Heel and Martin
Eden. Despite becoming one of the highest-paid writers of his time, he
lived extravagantly and struggled financially. He spent his later years
managing his California ranch, promoting sustainable farming, and
traveling. Suffering from kidney disease and alcoholism, he died at
age 40 in 1916. His legacy continues through his works, which remain
widely read and influential in literature, adventure fiction, and early
 renowned works
📖 The Call of the Wild (1903)
• His most famous novel, about a sled dog named Buck that returns to the wild.
• Inspired by his Klondike experiences, it explores survival, nature, and instinct.
• It became an instant bestseller and made London famous worldwide.

📖 The Sea-Wolf (1904)

• A novel about a shipwreck survivor and a brutal sea captain, exploring themes of power and survival.

📖 White Fang (1906)

• A novel about a wolf-dog that experiences both cruelty and kindness.
• It is the opposite of The Call of the Wild—instead of a domesticated dog returning to the wild, a wild
animal learns to live with humans.
📖 Martin Eden (1909)
• A semi-autobiographical novel about a poor sailor who becomes a writer, based on London’s own
struggles.
• The novel criticizes capitalism and the idea of individual success, showing how the main character
becomes disillusioned with society.
📖 The Iron Heel (1908)
• A political novel predicting a future dystopian world where a powerful elite oppresses workers.
 HISTORICAL
BACKGROUN
D
The Klondike Gold Rush (1896–1899)

The Industrial Revolution and Human Confidence

Jack London’s
Ketut Susilo Personal Experiences
Matt Zhang Teddy Yu
PLOT
EXPOSITION (BEGINNING)
• The man is traveling alone in the Yukon, where the temperature is around -75°F (-59°C).
• A dog follows him. The dog senses the danger of the cold, but the man does not.
• The man is confident in his ability to reach camp by evening.
• He was warned by an old-timer from Sulphur Creek not to travel alone in such extreme
cold, but he ignores the advice.
RISING ACTION (MIDDLE – PROBLEMS START)
• The man spits, and the spit freezes before hitting the ground—showing how deadly the cold
is.
• He builds a fire to warm himself but continues walking instead of staying safe.
• He accidentally steps into a hidden spring, soaking his feet.
• He now must build another fire quickly before his feet freeze.
CLIMAX (TURNING POINT – THE WORST THING HAPPENS)
• The man successfully builds a fire under a tree.
• However, snow falls from the tree’s branches and puts out the fire.
• He panics because his fingers are now too frozen to start another fire.
• He realizes he is in serious danger and might die.
FALLING ACTION (NEAR THE END – FINAL STRUGGLES)
• He tries to kill the dog for warmth, but his hands are too frozen to hold his knife.
• He runs to warm himself but soon becomes exhausted and weak.
• He accepts his fate, sits down, and freezes to death.
RESOLUTION (ENDING – THE FINAL OUTCOME)
• The dog waits, then leaves to find another camp where it can survive.
THEMES AND
SYMBOLS
Man vs. Nature
• The man believes his knowledge and confidence will help him survive the brutal cold of the Yukon, but nature
proves much stronger. The temperature is deadly, and no matter how much he tries to control the situation,
nature’s indifference is too much for him. His attempts to survive the cold and reach camp fail because nature
is simply
Instinct beyond his ability to dominate.
vs. Knowledge
• The dog relies on instinct, knowing that the cold is dangerous and staying close to the man for warmth, yet
recognizing when it’s time to leave. In contrast, the man trusts his knowledge and logic, but fails to heed the
instinctual warning signs that could have saved him. The dog’s survival shows that instinct is more reliable in
nature than human intellect..
Human Arrogance

• The man’s arrogance is a key factor in his downfall. He ignores the old-timer’s advice not to travel alone in
such extreme cold, believing he is capable of handling it. His overconfidence blinds him to the dangers of the
wilderness, and this disregard for nature’s power leads to his death

The Power of Nature

• Nature is not evil; it simply exists as it is. The cold is a force beyond human control, and the man’s failure to
respect it results in his demise. The dog, in contrast, survives by following its natural instincts, illustrating
that humans must learn to adapt to nature rather than try to overcome it.
FIRE
Fire is the most important symbol in the story because it represents life and survival. The man depends on
fire to keep warm and protect himself from the deadly cold. When he successfully builds a fire, he has a
chance to survive. However, when he fails to relight it, he is left helpless against the freezing temperatures.
His inability to build another fire after his fingers go numb symbolizes his loss of control over nature. Fire is
also a reminder of human weakness—without it, the man cannot survive, showing how fragile human life is in
the face of nature’s power.

THE DOG
The dog symbolizes instinct and nature’s wisdom. Unlike the man, it does not try to fight against the cold but
instead listens to its natural survival instincts. It knows that the temperature is dangerously low and that it
needs fire and warmth. When the man dies, the dog does not mourn or panic; it simply moves on in search of
another source of heat and food. This highlights the idea that instinct is more reliable than human logic in
extreme conditions. The dog’s survival contrasts with the man’s death, reinforcing the idea that nature
rewards those who respect its laws.

THE OLD-TIMER’S ADVICE

The advice given by the old-timer from Sulphur Creek symbolizes experience, wisdom, and respect for
nature. The old man warns against traveling alone in such extreme cold, but the man arrogantly ignores him.
This symbolizes how human pride can lead to disaster when people refuse to listen to those who have
CHARACTERS
The Man (Protagonist – Main Character)
• He is nameless, making him represent any person who underestimates nature.
• He is confident but lacks imagination—he does not fully understand the danger of extreme cold.
• He ignores the advice of the old-timer and believes he can control the situation.
• He is a dynamic character because he experiences a change in understanding—towards the end, he realizes his
mistake and finally respects nature, but by then, it is too late to save himself.
The Dog
• The dog is driven by instinct—it knows the cold is dangerous, unlike the man.
• It relies on nature rather than fighting against it.
• In the end, the dog survives because it follows its natural instincts.
• The dog is a flat character because it does not change or grow throughout the story; it remains guided by its
instincts from start to finish.
The Old-Timer from Sulphur Creek
• He never appears in the story, but his warning foreshadows the man’s death.
• He represents wisdom and experience, which the man ignores.
• He is also a flat character because his role is purely to provide a lesson about survival rather than to change
or develop.

Who Is the Antagonist?

• There is no human antagonist in the story—nature itself is the true antagonist. The cold, the snow, and the
harsh environment work against the man, making survival almost impossible. However, nature is not evil or
LITERARY
DEVICES
Imagery (Descriptive Language)
• London uses detailed descriptions of the cold to make the reader
feel its danger:
⚬ "The cold of space smote the unprotected tip of the planet."
⚬ "His beard was frozen with ice."
• This helps us understand how serious the situation is.

Foreshadowing (Hints About What Will Happen)

• The old-timer warns him not to travel alone → The man ignores this
and dies.
• The dog does not want to leave the fire → It senses the danger
before the man does.
• His spit freezing in mid-air → Hints that survival will be difficult.

Irony (Opposite of What is Expected)

• The man thinks he is smart, but he makes foolish mistakes.
• He believes he can control his situation, but nature decides his fate.

Symbolism (Objects That Represent Bigger Ideas)

 Genre of To Build a Fire
Naturalism
• it focuses on how humans are controlled by nature, instincts, and fate rather than
free will. The protagonist’s struggle against the harsh environment and his eventual
failure are key features of this literary movement.

Adventure Fiction
• The story involves a survival journey in the harsh Yukon wilderness, making it part of
the adventure fiction genre. It follows a character trying to overcome dangerous
conditions, which is a common theme in adventure stories.

Survival Fiction
• The central focus of the story is the man’s attempt to survive extreme cold. He faces
life-or-death challenges, making this a survival story where nature is the main
obstacle.

Tragedy
• The story also fits the tragedy genre because the protagonist’s flaws
(overconfidence and lack of imagination) lead to his downfall. He realizes his
 NATURALISM AND DARWINISM IN TO BUILD A
Naturalism in the Story
Naturalism is a literary movement that emerged FIRE
in the late 19th century, focusing on how nature,
environment, and instincts shape human life. It portrays the world as harsh and indifferent, often showing
that humans are controlled by forces beyond their understanding—such as nature, fate, and biology—rather
than free will. In To Build a Fire, Jack London uses naturalism to show that nature is indifferent to human
struggle. The man believes he is in control, but in reality, he is just another creature in the wild, completely
at the mercy of the freezing cold. His fate is determined by natural forces, and no amount of confidence or
intelligence can save him once he makes a mistake. His death is not dramatic or heroic—it is simply a result
of his failure to respect the laws of [Link] writers, including Émile Zola, Stephen Crane, and Jack
London, believed that humans are not in full control of their lives. Instead, they are shaped by external
forces like nature, fate, and their biological instincts.

Darwinism and "Survival of the Fittest"

Darwinism, based on Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, emphasizes natural selection, meaning that only
the strongest and most adaptable survive. In the story, the man represents human arrogance—he ignores
the warnings of others, does not listen to his instincts, and tries to fight nature instead of adapting to it. On
the other hand, the dog survives because it follows its instincts and understands nature better than the man
does. This reflects Darwin’s idea that those who adapt to their environment will survive, while those who do
not will perish. The man’s death and the dog’s survival symbolize the brutal reality of nature, where strength
 Criticism of To Build a Fire
• Strengths of the Story
• Powerful Naturalist Message – Many literary critics admire the story for its strong naturalist themes,
showing how humans are powerless against nature. The story effectively illustrates how
overconfidence and a lack of respect for nature lead to disaster.
• Realistic and Vivid Descriptions – London’s detailed descriptions of the Yukon’s extreme cold and the
man’s suffering create a strong sense of realism. Readers can almost feel the freezing temperature
and the growing panic of the protagonist.
• Darwinian Survival Themes – The contrast between the man and the dog is often praised as a clear
example of “survival of the fittest.” The man dies because he does not adapt, while the dog survives
because it follows instinct.
• Symbolism and Foreshadowing – The fire, dog, and old-timer’s advice are well-used symbols that add
deeper meaning to the story. The way foreshadowing builds suspense is also seen as a great literary
technique.

• Criticism of the Story

• Lack of Character Depth – Some critics argue that the man is too plain and nameless, making him less
relatable. He serves more as a symbol of human arrogance than a fully developed character with
emotions and personal struggles.
• One-Sided View of Nature – While the story effectively portrays nature as powerful and indifferent,
some critics feel that it lacks complexity, as it only shows nature’s cruelty rather than its beauty or
THANK
YOU
By : Vedat
Kaçan