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To Build a Fire by Jack London -Collections 11 (pg.331-350) - Coggle…
To Build a Fire by Jack London -Collections 11 (pg.331-350)
Key words
Extremity
Imperative
Numb
Apprehension
Chuckled
Intangible
Outwitted
Manipulation
Awkward
Sizzling
Capsized
Suspicious
Oppressive
Satisfying
Author
Was the most successful American author of the early 20th century.
He led an adventurous life before deciding to become a writer.
He was born in San Francisco into a very poor family.
Jack London's formal education was limited, but he read widely.
Jack London (1876-1916)
Between 1900-1916, he completed more than 50 fiction and nonfiction books and hundreds of short stories.
Among his most well-known books are Call of the Wind, White Fang,The Sea Wolf, Martin Eden, etc...................
Summary
He starts his trek with his dog.
He ignores all advice of the old man.
He wants to join his fellows in the camp.
He travels though the freezing temperatures.
To build a fire is a tale of a man who travels alone.
He becomes a victim to the unforgiving powers of nature.
Characters
The wolf dog
The man's companion. Better suited for the harsh cold.
Old Timer
An experienced and knowledgeable traveler.
The man
A stubborn, fact-oriented newcomer to the cold of the Yukon.
The boys
The group guys traveling with the man at the beginning of his trek.
Setting
To Build a Fire takes place in the Yukon territory of Canada, which was the site of the gold rush in the nineteenth century.
Cold and gray, no sun and colder than 50 degrees below zero.
The Yukon laid a mile wide and hidden under three feet of ice
On top of this ice were as many feet of snow.
It was all pure white, rolling in gentle undulations where the ice jams of the freeze up had formed.
Plot
Climax
The man tries to kill the dog.
Falling action
The man struggles with the notion of his possible death and continues his trek.
Rising action
The man has various encounters with the hot springs and his attempts to build a fire.
Resolution
The man realizes his fate is inevitable and goes to sleep in the snow.
Expository
Introduction of the setting and characters.
Open-ended questions
What was your most embarrassing moment?
What's your favorite travel childhood memory?
What can't you travel without?
Would you prefer to live in hot places or cold ones? Why?
What is your favorite place to go camping?
Are you into dangerous experiences?
Do you like traveling?
Do you think that there is something deserves to risk your life?
If you were on a plane and in a dangerous situation, what things you would cast to survive?
Theme
Instinct over intellectualism
The man exercises intellectual properties more than instinctive ones. On the other hand, the dog has an innate understanding of the cold and its dangers. Accordingly, only the dog survives.
Indifferent environment and survival
The environment does nothing to help its inhabitants. It is coldly indifferent to their existence and struggle. This indifference makes survival itself a critical goal for characters.
Determinism
Jack London repeatedly shows how the man does not have the free will and how nature has already mapped out his fate.