To Build a Fire Summary
Jack London

Biography EssayJack London has been recognized as one of the most dynamic figures in American literature. Sailor, hobo, Klondike argonaut, social crusader, war correspondent, scientific farmer, self-m... Read more

"I wanted to be where the winds of adventure blew," Jack London once wrote of his decision to take to the seas as an oyster pirate at the age of fifteen. "There was vastly more romance in being an oys... Read more

Jack London has been recognized as one of the most dynamic figures in American literature. Sailor, hobo, Klondike argonaut, social crusader, war correspondent, scientific farmer, self-made millionaire... Read more

Jack London was a native Californian who achieved worldwide acclaim as a powerful storyteller, a legendary public figure, and America's most commercially successful writer. Joseph Conrad acknowledged ... Read more

In the following essay, Peterson discusses the motif of the journey in “To Build a Fire.” Judged simply by the number of times it has been selected by the editors of anthologies, ... Read more

In the following essay, Chapman finds parallels between London's “To Build a Fire” and Horacio Quiroga's “La insolación.” Some say the world will en... Read more

In the following essay, May questions the critical perceptions of “To Build a Fire” as a metaphysical fiction. Ten years ago Earle Labor and King Hendricks, perhaps the most avid part... Read more

In the following essay, Mitchell provides a stylistic analysis of London's “To Build a Fire.” Even enthusiasts cringe at naturalism's style. Given excesses so plain and ... Read more

In the following essay, Mitchell explores London's narrative techniques in “To Build a Fire,” particularly the use of repetitive language and images. More than other naturalist... Read more

In the following essay, Peterson discusses the motif of the journey in “To Build a Fire.” Judged simply by the number of times it has been selected by the editors of anthologies, ... Read more

In the following essay, Labor and Hendricks contrast London's two versions of “To Build a Fire,” concluding that the first is “a well-made boys' story; the second ve... Read more

In the following essay, Bowen delineates some critical misconceptions associated with “To Build a Fire.” Common misconception has it that the dog's survival in “To Build... Read more

In the following essay, Hedrick compares London's “The White Silence,” “In a Far Country,” and “To Build a Fire.” His purse exhausted after a year a... Read more

In the following essay, Clasby maintains that in “To Build a Fire” London's “unquestioned myth-making ability has produced an extreme expression of a common archetype. ... Read more

Author Jack London wrote "To Build a Fire," the heart-wrenching story of a man's struggle to overcome the power of nature in the most extreme temperatures. Throughout his journey along the trail... Read more