YOUR NAME HERE->Marie Student
Comp II
THE PAPER # Paper #1
THE Date, 2000

TITLE OF PAPER Paper #1 Man's Best Friend, His Instincts

Jack London's To Build a Fire tells the story of a tenderfoot trapper and his dog, snowbound in the Yukon. The trapper ignores his instincts and consequently dies. Throughout the story, the relative reactions of the man and the dog are contrasted.

Though the man is the more "advanced" animal, and his reason and judgement supposedly superior to the dog's, the trapper is constantly surprised by the cold and does not realize its implications. This makes him a static character. The dog, on the other hand (paw?) instinctively realizes the dangers of the 70 degree below weather. The trapper never learns the error of his ways. He is warned by the old timer and sees several indicators that it is too cold to travel (such as his spit freezing in the air). He trusts his ability to "think his way out " of his situtation.

The theme of this story is survival. In the pointed conclusion, the man freezes to death and the dog survives, suggesting that man's reason and judgement are not always superior to his natural instincts, especially when applied to a natural setting. London seems to criticize man for believing technology (matches) and intelligence (reasoning) can solve any problem. He implies that common sense may help one survive better in the world.