Compare And Contrast Powder And To Build A Fire

“Powder” & “To Build a Fire” Compare and Contrast Essay

In the first passage, Powder, by Tobias Wolff, both characters are stuck in a snowstorm and then one of the characters decides to navigate a road that is off limits and covered with snow to get to their destination, while the other character thinks and plans ahead. In the second passage, To Build a Fire, by Jack London, a man is navigating through the bitter cold to get to a checkpoint where the man is going to eat his lunch as the dog stays in the back and follows until the man uses the dog as a sort of test. Both these passages have their differences, but they have more in common than you think.

Throughout Powder you see the father using his amazing sense of direction to help guide

And as the "sidekick" the dog stays in the back and follows until the man needs him. When the man does need him he uses him as a "test" for the ground ahead, which makes sure that if the ground is weak the dog will get its feet wet and frozen, but not the man. There are many instances in the passage that give evidence for my statements, but here's some that really bring out what I am trying to say, "He noticed the changes in the creek, the curves and the bends. And always he noted where he placed his feet. ... Once, sensing danger, he made the dog go ahead. The dog did not want to go. It hesitated until the man pushed it forward. Then it went quickly across the white, unbroken surface. Suddenly it fell through the ice, but climbed out on the other side, which was firm." (Jack London) These quotes show that the man in "To Build a Fire" knows exactly what to do, where to step, what to look for, and what to listen for. And that the dog was forced to play its role in helping the man through the journey. Again this shows that these characters have a "superhero and sidekick"

For example, both of these texts share the setting of a cold climate. Plus, the men in both stories have an amazing sense of direction and know where they are going without being able to see tracks from those who have come before them. Also, the boy and dog aid the men on their quests. In Powder the father treats the boy as something to protect, but in To Build a Fire the man uses the dog as an "experiment" just to make sure that he himself didn't get cold feet. Furthermore, in Powder the man and boy aid each other and their relationship grows, whereas in To Build a Fire the relationship starts out fine then as the story progresses the man uses the dog instead of caring for him. On the contrary, after the dog's feet get frozen the man does go over and help the dog get the ice out of in between its toes. The man and dog's relationship grows weaker and then stronger again. Some excellent evidence from the text, "Powder", that supports my claims on the father and the boy's relationship is, " 'I can’t let that happen.' He bent toward me. 'I’ll tell you what I want. I want us all to be together again. Is that what you want?' 'Yes, sir.' He bumped my chin with his knuckles. 'That’s all I needed to hear.' " (Tobias Wolff) One quote that exceptionally explains my claims on the man and the dog's relationship is, "Once, sensing danger, he made the dog go ahead. The dog did not want to go. It hesitated until the man