To Build A Fire Critical Lens Essay

Ordinary Stories are not Fit for Telling

Thomas Hardy once stated, “A story must be exceptional enough to justify its telling; it must have something more unusual to relate than the ordinary experience of every average man and woman.” This quotation means that oftentimes in life what makes us extraordinary, are those unusual events we face in life. This quotation is valid because everyone’s experiences build up their character, however when an experience is that exceptional, they stand out. Everyone’s journeys are different, but it is the unique ones that grab people’s attention. The short story, To Build a Fire, by Jack London and the short southern gothic story, A Good Man Is Hard to Find, by J.D. Salinger justified Hardy’s quote because

The short story, To Build a Fire, by Jack London supports this critical lens because in the text, the man is in a harsh and cold environment, where a lot is going on simultaneously. The first example from this story that proves the critical lens valid, is when the man falls into the water through the ice and his feet get wet. All of this happens because of how he spontaneously decides to go through the hostile environment of the Yukon by himself. This example proves that the critical lens statement is true because putting himself in a situation such as this one, makes him distinguishable from others. To Build A Fire is the tragic tale of an old white bearded man who decides to travel alongside his dog through the Yukon. During his journey, the man faces many unexpected obstacles

The first example from the short story that proves the critical lens valid, is when the family is passing by the cotton plantation and see tombstones. They make fun of them, but those graves end up representing them, since they end up being murdered later on in the story. This example proves that the critical lens statement is true because the actions and events the family faces make them distinct from other families. In the story, a southern family of 5 is going on a road trip to Florida. Little do they know a criminal has escaped jail and is on the loose. The family stops at a restaurant and doesn't know that Red Sammy has connections with the bandits, and the grandmother starts to talk with him about how hard it is to find a good man. Later, a passing car stops near the family. After constantly talking to the family and yelling at them, the Misfit and his bandits kill all 5 members of the family. The author uses the literary elements of irony and symbolism. The main idea of the story is that the family goes on a road trip that leads to their death. O’Conner includes symbolism by using weather and the sky to describe the characters’ mood. Ultimately, the short story A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery O’Conner shows the constant unusual behavior of the family and the experiences they go through prove the critical lens