Death In William Faulkner's To Build A Fire

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In “To Build a Fire” the inference of the man’s impending death comes from the gradual losses of feeling in his extremities. Bit by bit, he loses more feeling and movement as the body diverts blood to keep his core warm. To “build a fire” requires many more abilities than may seem apparent. Simply having the means to ignite the fuel he is able to find becomes problematic. If he cannot make use of his resources then they are no longer resources. When the tree succumbs to the weight of the snow it is like a blow, or a slamming of a door, shutting out the possibility of success, in his case the success of achieving warmth. In his efforts to continue he is not aware that he is already freezing to death. Where the fire is supposed to help him and