Study Guide for Jack London’s to Build a Fire

Every person has free will

Every person has free will, but how the individual chooses to use his free will defines and impacts him. The elements of humility can control the outcomes of one’s free will and proper thinking. It was impossible to be modest, though, if the person believes they are flawless in every manner. To Build a Fire by Jack London depicts a naive newbie to Alaska’s brutally frigid Yukon territory and his experiences on his trek to meet his friends.

Components of humility and appropriate thinking

Components of humility and appropriate thinking have an impact on a person’s free will and have repercussions, therefore, they are essential when making decisions.

Before the bearded man left Sulfur Creek

Before the bearded man left Sulfur Creek to travel to meet his friends, he met with an old timer who advised him to reconsider his decision. The man was not open-minded and disregarded the old timer’s advice who had explained that traveling in the harsh weather of below fifty degrees can be fatal (London). The man, however, judged the old timer with reference to his old age and physicality and saw that he was far much superior to the old timer since he was younger than him thus, he could conquer the cold trail easily. Had the man been humble and taken the advice from the experienced old timer who seemed to know a lot since he had lived there for a long time, the man would have avoided the troubles he encountered while traveling in the cold which eventually led to his death because of his stubbornness. Being open-minded and being able to make reasonable judgment can significantly help to keep one from harm through expanding their knowledge.

Human capabilities or activities are not always perfect

Human capabilities or activities are not always perfect but when one is open-minded and knows his flaws, they may prevent themselves from making rash decisions that can cause harm. The protagonist who is the bearded man makes his way on the solid ground and comes to where the ground is made up of only ice. The man decided that waking on ice is similar to walking on solid ground and trusted the durability of the ice to hold his weight. However, the ice broke, and he plunged into the freezing water getting his feet wet which handicapped him from walking properly (London). Had the man been open-minded and saw that ice and solid ground do not have the same durability, he could have remained safe because he would not have opted to walk on the ground and thus, he would have been safe from hurting his feet.

In some instances, there are signs which can be used to deduce danger

In some instances, there are signs which can be used to deduce danger even before it happens and the bearded man was unable to see these warnings because of his lack of proper reasoning and having shallow thoughts full of pride. Before leaving Sulfur Creek, it was around nine o’clock morning, and the temperatures were below fifty which made the man’s saliva freezes in midair showing the temperature was extremely cold for human survival (London, 2). However, the man did not see this as a warning as he shrugged it off and set off to meet his friends. Had he properly reasoned, he would have seen that it was dangerously cold and opted to stay safely behind in Sulfur Creek and thus, he would not have encountered the many troubles he experienced. Another sign that the bearded man ignored was the instinctual calls of his dog as the dog sensed the temperature was extremely cold. The dog’s frightened behavior and calls should have acted as a warning to the man, but he disregarded the signs.

Under any circumstance, a person should always be prepared and plan thoroughly

Under any circumstance, a person should always be prepared and plan thoroughly to avoid encountering difficulties that may cause a problem or hinder an activity to be done. The man set out to meet his friends in the cold weather, but he had not put on the proper attire to protect his body from the cold. At ten o’clock, the man decided to rest and realized that his face is numb and the cheeks are frostbitten, and it is at this moment that he realizes the danger he might be in and regrets why he had not brought a facial strap for facial protection (London, 8). Had the man properly reasoned before leaving Sulfur Creek, he would have made sure that he had all tools and resources to conquer the cold weather during his journey.

The bearded man was full of pride

The bearded man was full of pride in that despite the problems he encountered such as falling into ice, his fire getting extinguished several times among other problems, he was stubborn and still focused on proceeding on his journey to meet his friends (Gale & Cengage, 10). Had he been humble, he would have calculated the weight of the problems he had encountered and the risks then he would have returned to safety back in Sulfur Creek because it would not be worth to lose his life or get hurt badly just to be able to be with his friends. The journey outcome so far had many setbacks and problems than the number of successes so returning to safety would have been the best option.

Conclusion

Human beings are prone to have flaws and incompetence which lead to their downfall especially when proper reasoning and humbleness are not used when making decisions. Pride drove the bearded man as well as lack of rational reasoning and incompetence which made him believe that he could do anything or complete every task he engages in which eventually led to his death.

Works cited

Gale, Cengage L. “Study Guide for Jack London’s to Build a Fire”. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, n.d.. Print

London, Jack. ”To build a fire”. Bantam Classics, 2007. Print

London, Jack. ”To Build a Fire: (A Modern Library E-Book)”. (2004). Retrieved from: http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Jack_London/To_Build_a_Fire/To_Build_a_Fire_p1.html online.