To Build a Fire: Summary & Analysis

Categories: To Build a Fire

The story is set in the glacial environs of wintry Yukon. The area normally has temperatures far below freezing point and is dangerous are to traverse alone. The main character of the story is a traveler and new to the area but is confident in his ability to survive the weather on his own. He is advised by an old man in Sulfur Creek to find a travel partner in order to tackle both the temperature and arduous journey but he ignores the sage advice.

In his hubris, he plans to travel the length till the next camp where is friends are staying in a day. He begins his journey early morning and plans to reach his destination by 2 o’clock in the afternoon. He is accompanied by a wolf-dog which seems to be a reluctant traveler in the dangerously cold temperatures.

Having traveled at four miles an hour speed, the man feels confident in his ability to reach in time.

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However, he soon feels that his face is becoming numb due to cold. He regrets nit wearing a face mask. His spit turns into ice and his lungs seem heavy. The area is known for its frozen springs and lakes and he his wary of the threat because getting wet in sub-zero temperature is fatally dangerous. As a precaution, he pushes the dog in front of him to sniff out any pitfalls or thin sheets of ice.

Unfortunately, he slows down due to extreme cold and has to stop to eat his lunch.

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He readjusts his time of arrival at the camp to 6 o’clock in the evening. As soon he starts again, he falls into spring and gets drenched till his wait. He remembers the old man’s advice of drying his feet in case he got wet and rushes to build a fire under a nearby tree. He feels proud of his ability to think fast but suddenly the snow collected in the foliage muffles out the fire. His fingers also go numb and he struggles to build another fire. He begins to panic and decides to run to the camp before his whole body goes to waste due to frostbite. The old man had advised him against running as it accelerates the freezing of the legs. And soon he drops to the ground unable to stand up. He tries to lure the dog to himself and intends to kill it for some warmth. But the dog walks away ensuring its own survival.

In the end, the man accepts his impending end and gives up trying to find an escape. The dog stays with him till the man breaths his last. As soon as he passes away, the dog runs away in the direction of the camp for some much-needed fire and hot food.

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Updated: Dec 12, 2023
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To Build a Fire: Summary & Analysis. (2020, Sep 23). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/to-build-a-fire-summary-analysis-essay

To Build a Fire: Summary & Analysis essay
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