The victim: an analysis of the man's character in to build a fire by Jack London - Book Report/Review Example

It's easier to conclude that the man has suicidal tendencies to start with since he decided to go on in a journey that would put him in harm's way. Also, the end of the story which shows that he decided to stop fighting and suddenly had the desire to die ("Well, he was bound to freeze anyway, and he might as well take it decently.") (London) seemed to support the claim.However, if a reader would scrutinize the story carefully, one may find that there are many information in Jack London's work that negate such a conclusion.

First point: Right after the opening paragraphs that give the reader a general overview of the situation, it was stated that the character "was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances." (London) This line only shows us how reckless the man can be and how he may not really have given much thought about the consequences of traveling alone in an extreme weather condition. However, despite the man's inability to think about the long-term implications of his actions, he was still shown to have a certain level of preparedness for the journey ahead.

In fact, he had "biscuits, each cut open and sopped in bacon grease, and each enclosing a generous slice of fried bacon."(London) He also had matches and birch bark to build a fire just in case the need arises. If he really wanted to die right from the start, he could have just shot himself at home, or if he had suicidal tendencies, he shouldn't have brought provisions to be used in the journey. Next point: The man was ignorant of the real situation in such a sub-polar region right from the start.

As the text states, "He was a new-comer in the land, a chechaquo, and this was his first winter." (London) Despite being warned by an old-timer from Sulphur Creek about the dangers of traveling in such a place during winter, he essentially had no "real-time" experience traveling during an extreme weather condition in that part of the country. This ignorance was coupled with stubbornness as he did not listen to the old-timer's sound advice, only to realize that "the old-timer on Sulphur Creek was right, he thought in the moment of controlled despair that ensued: after fifty below, a man should travel with a partner.

" (London) Last point: It is quite obvious that the man was a victim of his ill judgment. He let his basic instincts be overruled by his overconfidence. When he spat on the ground to test how cold the temperature was, he didn't sense danger and took the situation only in its face value, as this sentence proves: "That there should be anything more to it than that was a thought that never entered his head." (London) Also, as he felt the effects of the cold more and more, the more too he was compelled to push on with his journey-this despite his awareness and complaint that his hands and feet were already numbed because of the cold, and his cheeks already had frostbite.

In fact, he thought, "What were frosted cheek A bit painful, that was all; they were never serious" (London) With the information given above, one can say that he was indeed only a victim of himself. April 10, 2008 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Essay on "To Build a Fire" by Jack London I started my essay with asking the following questions: 1. Did the character essentially commit suicide by deciding to engage in such a dangerous expedition all by himself despite warnings 2. Or was he simply a victim of his own stubbornness, recklessness, ignorance, and ill judgment through and through I had this introduction with the purpose of asserting that I don't really believe in the claims of other writers that the