to build a
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To Build a. Fire. Pre and Post Reading. Author: Jack London. 1876-1916 First American writer to become a millionaire 1897 took off to prospect for Yukon Territory in northwestern Canada His own adventures in the frozen area were the basis for many of his own stories. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Jack London (1876-1916)
• Author: Jack London • 1876-1916
• First American writer to become a millionaire
• 1897 took off to prospect for Yukon Territory in northwestern Canada
• His own adventures in the frozen area were the basis for many of his own stories
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General Information
General InformationGeneral Information • The unnamed protagonist is presented a being too confident and often unaware of his own “frailty”
• As the harshness of nature surrounds him, he becomes more aware about the folly of this thinking
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General Information
General InformationGeneral Information• Setting
• The action takes place in
Alaska as an unnamed man tries to make his way along the Yukon Trail.
• The story’s setting is important in that the story unfolds during a time of extreme cold: the story describes 75 below 0 temperatures and a sun that is seldom seen
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Summary and Plot Overview
Summary and Plot Summary and Plot OverviewOverview
• An unnamed protagonist and his dog ignore advice and make a trek on the Yukon trail in below freezing temperatures
• The protagonist, walking at a brisk pace, hopes to meet “the boys” at camp in 4 hours time
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Literary FocusLiterary FocusLiterary Focus• Foreshadowing
• Symbolism
• London gives subtle clues throughout the narrative pointing to future points of danger in the cold conditions.– Make sure to take mental
notes of these subtle warnings!
• London intentionally does not tell the reader protagonist’s name: he is symbolic of any man, and any man struggling against forces outside of this control
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Literary Focus• Point of View • The 3rd Person
Omniscient narration others the reader three distinct views:
1. That of an uncaring, unattached observer
2. Insight into the thoughts of the protagonist
3. Insight into the thoughts of his companion, a dog.
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Literary Focus
• Style: Naturalism and Realism
• Naturalism: – Humans were often
subjects to natural forces beyond their control
– He was strongly influenced by Charles Darwin’s theories of natural selection and survival of the fittest
• Realism: – stories were painfully
realistic
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Themes and Focus
Themes and FocusThemes and Focus • Man’s Insignificance– Nature is unfeeling,
unresponsive and will continue to survive long after man died
• Nature’s Power– A seemingly skilled,
intelligent protagonist quickly finds himself in dire circumstances
Keep the image of this tree in your mind as we read the story “To Build a Fire”.
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Themes and Focus
Themes and FocusThemes and Focus • Instinct over Reason– As the story
progresses the man’s ability to reason becomes of less value than his dog’s ability to rely on its instinct
• Natural Selection and the Survival of the Fittest– Man is not made to
survive in the elements presented in the story
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Character Analysis
Character AnalysisCharacter Analysis• The Prospector
• Confident to a fault, it is the prospector’s own sense of invulnerability that puts him in dangerous situations
• His personality and thoughts alter drastically as his situation worsens
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Character Analysis
Character AnalysisCharacter Analysis• The Dog
• Relies solely on a sense of instinct and survival
• The dog is able to detect subtle clues of danger that his master cannot
• He is better suited for the cold conditions than his human counterpart