To Build A Fire Essay

637 Words3 Pages

In “To Build A Fire” by Jack London, he uses many literary elements to send a message to the reader. The mood changes as the man starts to struggle as the plot raises. The setting is the most important part of the story. Flashbacks are used to show how the man’s attitude despite of what other people say. Symbolism is used to show a hidden message..In Jack London’s “To Build A Fire” he uses mood, setting, and flashbacks to help the message to always trust your instincts.
The man’s mood changes to help send the message. The men at the beginning of the story believes he can do it. At the town an old man said nobody could make it across alone. “And he had laughed at him at the time” (l.185-186). These two lines show the man believes he can make the journey. The man laughed at the old man he laughs, showing he is cocky. The man later on in the story starts to get aggravated and discouraged. The man only trusts himself and nobody else. The man’s mood helps the reader learn that he believed in himself. …show more content…

The setting was very cold and dangerous. “The cold Yukon lay a mile wide, and hidden under three feet of ice” (l.13-14). The temperature was not the only danger, there was also traps. “There was traps. There hid pools of water under the snow that might be three inches deep, or three feet” (l.130-131). While he was on the dangerous grounds he tried to predict where the traps were. He even tried to get his dog to go in front. “Once suspecting danger he compelled the dog to go in front. The dog did not want to go” (l. 148-149). The dog knew the danger, so he did not go. The dog, after the man died, he continued on. “Then it turned and trotted up the trail in the direction of the camp knew, where there were other food providers, and fire producers” (l. 505-506). The dog did what it knew to do. The dog followed his own instincts to survive. The setting influenced what