Theme of the story "To Build A Fire".
Experience vs. Reality
One of the main themes of the story 'To Build a Fire' is experience versus reality. A man decides to travel alone through the hostile environment of the Yukon territory in temperatures 75 degree below zero though initially estimated a fifty degrees below zero and falls victim to the unrelenting and unforgiving power of nature. The man is a newcomer to the region. He has no idea how cold it really is in the Klondike wilderness. He is unprepared for the harsh cold that he is encountering. Even his dog knows it is too cold to be travelling. The theme revolves around the newcomer's first experiences in the extremely cold wilderness.
Early in the story, it becomes clear that the odds are against the man's chances of surviving in the Klondike wilderness. He is a chechaquo to the region and has never experienced its extreme winters.
Man vs. Nature
Another theme in the story is 'man vs. nature'. During his trek, the man was confronted again and again by his weakness as a lone individual against the formidable power of nature in the form of brutal cold. Each time he removed his gloves, the man was surprised at how quickly his fingers were numbed. When the man stopped for lunch, his feet went numb almost as soon as he sat still, a fact that finally began to frighten him. The man had been warned by experienced expeditioners never to travel "after fifty below" without a partner, who could help him in emergencies, but the man did not pay attention to such advice. When he was apparently successful in building the fire for the second time he felt too proud of his abilities. His pride in his abilities resulted in his death. He underestimated the power of nature. He didn't knew that nature is much more powerful that man can ever think.
Experience vs. Reality
One of the main themes of the story 'To Build a Fire' is experience versus reality. A man decides to travel alone through the hostile environment of the Yukon territory in temperatures 75 degree below zero though initially estimated a fifty degrees below zero and falls victim to the unrelenting and unforgiving power of nature. The man is a newcomer to the region. He has no idea how cold it really is in the Klondike wilderness. He is unprepared for the harsh cold that he is encountering. Even his dog knows it is too cold to be travelling. The theme revolves around the newcomer's first experiences in the extremely cold wilderness.
Early in the story, it becomes clear that the odds are against the man's chances of surviving in the Klondike wilderness. He is a chechaquo to the region and has never experienced its extreme winters.
Man vs. Nature
Another theme in the story is 'man vs. nature'. During his trek, the man was confronted again and again by his weakness as a lone individual against the formidable power of nature in the form of brutal cold. Each time he removed his gloves, the man was surprised at how quickly his fingers were numbed. When the man stopped for lunch, his feet went numb almost as soon as he sat still, a fact that finally began to frighten him. The man had been warned by experienced expeditioners never to travel "after fifty below" without a partner, who could help him in emergencies, but the man did not pay attention to such advice. When he was apparently successful in building the fire for the second time he felt too proud of his abilities. His pride in his abilities resulted in his death. He underestimated the power of nature. He didn't knew that nature is much more powerful that man can ever think.
No comments:
Post a Comment