Tuesday, November 16, 2010

In "To Build a Fire" by Jack London, what are the main events that lead up to the man's death?

The premise of the story is that a man and a dog set out for their camp, attempting to get there before dark.  The man is ill-prepared for this trip and is not wearing enough warm clothing for the temperatures he is facing. He also does not bring along the supplies he needs in case of an emergency.  Also, he does not simply let the dog take the lead when he panics and figures out he is lost.  The dog could have taken him to the camp, as is evidenced by the dog trotting off towards camp after the man dies of hypothermia at the end of the story.  

Ultimately, the aforementioned things lead to his death.  Important things that happen to contribute to his death include getting his feet wet, taking off his gloves for too long, and building a fire underneath a snow-covered tree.  

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