This literary criticism piece focuses on the meaning behind the main character’s death in Jack London’s “To Build a Fire”. The short story was originally written with the protagonist alive by the end, however the more popularized revised version ends with his death. Both versions show the theme of survival through the protagonists struggles of survival in nature, but the revised versions inclusion of death leaves a more significant impact on the readers. It allows for the theme that death is a significant part of the cycle of life to shine through.
The author presents a common thought among critics of the 1908 version of “To Build a Fire”, which is that the protagonist is an ordinary man being punished due to his offence of the natural laws. The author also adds support to death being a natural part of life’s cycle by observing that the protagonist’s choices are ultimately what led to his death. The choices that a person makes are what lead them on their path in life, and when people choose wrong that decision can lead to death.
Jill Widdicombe presents literary criticism over Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” in various ways. Overall, there is a large focus on the cold being the major factor of the character’s death and the antagonist of the short story. Widdicombe also references many readers belief that the protagonist was both unreasonable and arrogant as his decision to not listen to the old man ultimately to his death. However, a statement that Widdicombe also references is that the man would have died from the cold even if he had listened to the old man.
Most do not realize the lethalness that the extreme cold can bring. Many people do not have to face the consequences of the cold, as it is rendered harmless by the heat that comes along with living in homes from the twenty-first century. The idea that Widdicombe presents is that no man could fight the cold, unless they had the protection brought about by shelters with central heating.
