journal 41

Nika Bogoslovsky
3/19/08
London

Quote: “The old-timer at Sulphur Creek was right, he thought in the moment of controlled despair that ensued: after fifty below, a man should travel with a partner.

Summary: The man’s hands had pretty much frozen over and it was difficult for him to get a match so he uses his mouth and teeth. At this predicament, he realizes he was ignorant in traveling alone in such cold weather.

Response: I can’t help but think how stubborn this man is. How many times had he been warned and how much common sense did he have and choose to ignore. He knew too well not to take this trip, especially alone, but no, he’s too much of a man to back down. It’s interesting that in Norris’s story it was frustrating that the women were being stereotypical competitive, weak women and now the man in this story is being a stereotypical rough, tough, can’t ask for help man. I said in a previous journal about Crane’s Open Boat that I thought the characters were doomed because nature was against them but they lived however, To Build a Fire is more directly about man vs. nature and nature does win. It’s freezing out, the ice and snow are against him, even the twigs from the trees won’t give him the benefit of fire, It’s obvious he won’t make it. The culminating point of the story is when he tries to kill his dog but he can’t because he’s so cold. He has turned against the dog, perhaps the only thing that connected him to nature, and now he has nothing on his side. At least he does dose off into the most comfortable and satisfying sleep.