Summary:
In the short story "To Build a Fire," Jack London engages the reader through his literary techniques, including foreshadowing, description, and third person limited point of view. This approach conveys a mood that the situation in the story is extremely dangerous and tragic.
Fifty Below Zero
"To Build a Fire" is a short story written by Jack London. In it, he uses descriptive adjectives and is extremely distant with his character to create a lonely, mysterious, and tragic tone. By multiple uses of foreshadowing, third person limited point of view, and making the setting one of the most important elements to the story, he engages the reader to the story.
London's use of foreshadowing in "To Build a Fire," hints to the reader that there will be a loss. "The old-timer had been very serious in laying down the law that no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below," (London360). London points out to the reader that his character has been warned specifically by one of the older men of the town. With this sentence, the reader begins.....
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