Join Britannica’s Publishing Partner Program and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work! To Build a Fire, short story by Jack London, published in Century Magazine in 1908 and later reprinted in the 1910 collection Lost Face. (An earlier draft had been published in 1902 in Youth’s Companion.)
Where the short story To Build a Fire was first published?
“To Build a Fire” is a short story by American author Jack London. There are two versions of this story. The first one was published in 1902, and the other was published in 1908.
| To Build a Fire | |
|---|---|
| Genre(s) | Adventure, short story |
| Publication date | 1902,1908 |
| Text | To Build a Fire at Wikisource |
Where did build a fire take place?
Yukon
London emphasizes the existential theme in “To Build a Fire” in several ways, the most important of which is his selection of the setting in which the story takes place. The story is set in the wilderness of the frozen Yukon during the harsh winter months when “there was no sun nor hint of sun” in the sky (118).
How many times the fire was built in To Build a Fire?
The solitary protagonist of “To Build a Fire” built three fires in all. He built his first fire in order to thaw out his frozen fingers and toes. He plucked his firewood from the undergrowth, where he found a supply of twigs.
How long is the Yukon Trail in To Build a Fire?
Theme. Champlin, Nikola. Setting. Answer : The man in the story ‘To Build a Fire’ is a new comer to the area, and is rash and overconfident to travel across ten miles of Yukon wilderness to reach a camp to join his companions.
What is the name for a newcomer in the land To Build a Fire?
In “To Build a Fire,” the man is unnamed. London describes him as being “a newcomer in the land” and details his personality as…
What is Chechaquo To Build a Fire?
The man is described as a chechaquo, or newcomer, because the lack of sun and the fact that no one else is traveling has made no impression on the man.
What does the dog in To Build a Fire symbolize?
The dog functions as a symbolic character in the short story, as it is the opposite of the man. He represents nature and natural instinct for survival.
Where is the man meeting the boy in the story To Build a Fire?
In “To Build a Fire,” the man is going to a camp in Henderson Creek, in the Yukon Territory of Canada, to meet up with the rest of his party.
Who is the main character in the story of To Build a Fire?
The Man: Naive and unimaginative, the man is the main character of “To Build a Fire.” Though he is an intelligent person, he is too reliant on his erroneous judgment and fails to adequately imagine the perils he faces in the Yukon.
What are three mistakes the man makes in To Build a Fire?
What traits or qualities cause him to make these mistakes? He went there in the spring, traveled alone, he built the fire under snow laying tree, over confident, lack of common sense, “DOES NOT NO COLD.” The man’s initial mistakes come because he’s prideful and overconfident. In the end, he lacks experience.
Why did Jack London not give the man a name in To Build a Fire?
The man in “To Build a Fire” is purposely not given a name, as the deterministic environment is more important than his free will and individuality. His goal at the start of the story is to reach the camp to meet “the boys,” presumably to prospect for gold. Click to see full answer.
What morals did the older miner gave to the man To Build a Fire?
What morals did the older miner gave to the man To Build a Fire? 1. The older miner advised him that never to travel alone if the temperature was under 50degrees below zero.
What was the dark line that the man saw disappearing behind the spruce covered island?
North and south, as far as his eye could see, it was unbroken white, save for a dark hair-line that curved and twisted from around the spruce- covered island to the south, and that curved and twisted away into the north, where it disappeared behind another spruce-covered island.
What happens when it was fifty below zero in To Build a Fire?
From there, it did not lead him to thoughts of heaven and the meaning of a man’s life. 50 degrees below zero meant a bite of frost that hurt and that must be guarded against by the use of mittens, ear coverings, warm moccasins, and thick socks.
What does the dog do when it wets its feet and legs?
Q. What does the dog do when it wets its feet and legs? It bites at the ice between its toes.
Why did the man compel the dog to go before him?
There is an extreme danger of breaking through the snow into a stream of running water and getting wet. This would necessitate stopping to build a fire immediately in order to dry his clothing and avoid severe injury from frost bite. After a few close calls, the man forces the dog to go on ahead of him.
Did the dog help the man in To Build a Fire?
Likewise, the dog relies on the man only because the man provides warmth and food. At the end of the story, once the dog smells death as he approaches the man’s body, the dog abandons the body to find other humans in the camp. The dog’s relationship with the man is shown to be impersonal and unemotional.
What is the man fearful about as he walks along the trail?
He fears frostbite. It will delay him. How many matches does the man light at once?
Why is the man’s beard amber color?
Also, the man was chewing tobacco, and the muzzle of ice held his lips so rigidly that he was unable to clear his chin when he expelled the juice. The result was that a crystal beard of the colour and solidity of amber was increasing its length on his chin.
What did the dog do while the man had his lunch To Build a Fire?
He sat on a snow-covered log and ate his lunch. He enjoyed the warm fire for a few minutes. Then he stood up and started walking on the frozen stream again. A half hour later, it happened.
What is the temperature in To Build a Fire?
In “To Build a Fire,” the temperature is 75 degrees below zero.
What is too cold for bonfire?
You should also avoid using them when the temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, or if it is windy. These conditions are not recommended for use of any kind, and fire pits are no exception.
Why does the man stop running in To Build a Fire?
Why must the man stop to build a fire? –He’s foot is wet. If he didn’t hypothermia would force him to lose his foot.
