Jack London's To Build a Fire

Jack London has created an unforgettably tragic tale which illustrates a modern philosophic theme. This story’s theme speaks of human kind's need to find meaning in the sufferings of our solitary existence. The environment which is both hostile and indifferent to our sufferings. London illustrates this theme in three ways: through his choice of setting, his imagery, and his placement of irony within the story.

The story is set in the wilderness of the frozen Yukon during the harsh winter months when “there was no sun nor hint of sun” in the sky. London places character in the perilous setting of the wilderness of the Yukon. When London combines this unforgiving environment with the deadly cold of the Yukon winter, he creates a setting which is the definition of hostile.

Imagery is also an important element that London uses to emphasize his theme. Earl Labor sees the “mood and atmosphere, which is conveyed through repetitive imagery of cold and gloom and whiteness,” as being “the key to the story’s impact." He simply cannot imagine a more careless environment. 

Lastly, London also uses irony. The man is “keenly observant” as he moves through the treacherous terrain of the Yukon. He is constantly on the lookout for signs which tell of the hidden dangers that he wishes to avoid, but, ironically, the man “falls through the ice” in an area which is absent of any “treacherous signs." The man gets a further dose of the impassive nature of the universe when, after painstakingly starting a fire, the fire is ironically snuffed out by falling snow just as he is about to begin thawing out his freezing feet.