To Build A Fire

“To Build A Fire” is, in my opinion, Jack’s greatest works. It is a wonderful tale of life and adventure in the vicinity of the Yukon Trail and one man’s fight with mother- nature to stay alive and make his journey to the next town. The story beings with a general description of the current town our traveler is in and the townspeople he interacts with. As the man began to map out his route further north, he failed to take into account the awful weather and the advice of an old weary traveler who told him the weather was entirely unfit for anyone to travel in. The story progresses and the man makes a few mistakes that almost cost him his life. He steps onto a warm spring where the ice is soft and his feet slip into the icy waters below. He hurries to make a fire and once it is lit, warms himself. However, failing to use situational awareness, his fire was made under an evergreen tree covered in snow. The snow melts, falls on his fire, and he is once again “left out in the cold”. This story was intriguing for me because I am an adventurer at heart and felt a connection with the man in the story. Excellent work by Mr. London and one that has struck my senses on every account.