To Build a Fire

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Mike Tapia “To Build a Fire” Jack London, an American writer in the early twentieth century, wrote one of his many short stories, “To Build a Fire” (1902), that is based on his own experiences and events he witnessed while visiting the Yukon. In the story, “To Build a Fire”, London develops a theme of Man vs. Nature with a panicky tone of concern toward to the male character and his dog while they both face the harsh environment traveling the Klondike to return to camp, which is miles away. London describes the characteristics and actions in the setting to paint a picture of the naturalism in the imagery inside the reader’s mind. This story shows how common sense takes place through tough times and the matter of life and death. Author Jack London, was born in San Francisco in 1876 and grew up to become the most successful writer in America during the early twentieth century. London wrote many stories that were about man and animal versus nature and the survival of hard times in the wild, mainly based off his own experiences. He was a man that desired wildlife, nature, and adventure; which influenced him to write all his stories based on nature and survival in the wild. As a child, he dropped out of school at the age of 14 to travel and explore, but went back to become a writer later on in his life. In 1897, London and his brother in law sailed to join the Klondike Gold Rush where the setting takes place in his first successful stories. He was inspired to write his first short story, “To Build a Fire”, after his struggles during his visit to the Klondike. Some of his other famous stories are The Call of the Wild, White Fang, The Sea-Wolf, and many other successful novels. Jack London passed away at the age of 40 at his ranch in Sonoma in 1916. The cause of his death is unknown but some say it was various diseases or suicide. “To Build a Fire” is a story about

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