Talk:To Build a Fire

This article is or was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Davidrich (article contribs). This article is or was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): DylKohe1 (article contribs). I believe there should be two different articles. One for the more commonly known version of the story and one for the lesser one. I just believe more people are looking to find the commonly known story if they are going to Wikipedia for information. I think the themes could use more detail and more references to support them. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hannah Vail (talk • contribs) 18:47, 15 November 2017 (UTC)

Jack London's website

The website put down for Jack London is not correct and is going to get removed because the link does not work. -10 November 2016

Can you find and add a link that does work? Oeparker1 (talk) 20:57, 10 November 2016 (UTC)

Found a website, http://jacklondon.com Rbout (talk) 22:33, 6 November 2017 (UTC)

Past tense

Please note that "To build a fire" is written in Past Tense! Made major rewritting of plot. Unsure if it needs shortening, if you deem it fit, you may shorten the plot. Fierywindz 04:11, 11 November 2006 (UTC)

Man vs. Nature

I would have thought that "To Build a Fire" is an example of Man versus Nature, but someone more knowledgeable than me should consider it. (GJD 5 July 2007)

I agree, and I believe there should be a little more explanation about that in this article. Man vs. nature is mentioned as a theme of this story, but there is no other explanation! Lexymaz (talk) 19:32, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

I agree PfickNohl (talk) 22:10, 13 November 2017 (UTC)

I noticed a few grammatical errors, so I'm going to fix those. Marye.hoban (talk) 17:30, 30 November 2017 (UTC)

School book report

this newer version of the pages is from my school report. -Helopusobiwa (7 December 2007) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Helopusobiwa (talk • contribs) 20:04, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

Page Deletions

To who ever deleted the whole page stop it. -Helopusobiwa —Preceding unsigned comment added by Helopusobiwa (talk • contribs) 16:21, 9 January 2009 (UTC)

I agree MpaduUNH1 (talk) 23:58, 13 November 2017 (UTC)

Characters

On Characters: I would like to note that it in fact mentions 1 name, curiously, it's not mentioned anywhere else in the text, it's simply the only name.

Once in a while the thought reiterated itself that it was very cold and that he had never experienced such cold. As he walked along he rubbed his cheek-bones and nose with the back of his mittened hand. He did this automatically, now and again changing hands. But rub as he would, the instant he stopped his cheek-bones went numb, and the following instant the end of his nose went numb. He was sure to frost his cheeks; he knew that, and experienced a pang of regret that he had not devised a nose-strap of the sort Bud wore in cold snaps. Such a strap passed across the cheeks, as well, and saved them. But it didn't matter much, after all. What were frosted cheeks? A bit painful, that was all; they were never serious.

It might be a useful tidbit to add if somebody can figure out who Bud was or why Jack put it in there.

Edit: Found old version, also found reference to nose-straps: Most men wore nose-straps; his partners did, but he had scorned such "feminine contraptions," and till now had never felt the need of them. Now he did feel the need, for he was rubbing constantly. So Bud might be a hunting buddy?

 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.185.118.2 (talk) 06:06, 12 July 2009 (UTC) 

I think that there needs to be more background on the character of the dog and what it was doing to keep itself alive, and how his instincts should have shown the man that he should not have been traveling in this weather.Jdifi1 (talk) 14:04, 9 November 2017 (UTC)

I agree as well as talk about why the author failed to provide the readers a name for the protagonist.Ploui1 (talk) 14:48, 28 November 2017 (UTC)

The relationship between the man and the dog

This relationship is the main way the reader is shown the man's personality. The way the man treats his dog is very important to the story. It helps to demonstrate how the author lead the reader to dislike the man and not grieve for his death. The actions between the two take up almost the entire story. It is clear the man is dominant over the dog. The dog cowers before him. At one point, the man even considers killing the dog to warm his hands with the dead body. This is important! An entire section could be filled with a discussion of this.Eristev4 (talk) 14:35, 3 April 2018 (UTC)

Talking about the man and the dog, I agree that London shows the man mistreating the dog leading the reader to dislike the man, I know I disliked the man because of how he treated the dog AnBell5 (talk) 23:08, 15 April 2018 (UTC)

This article is too short!!!

"To Build a Fire," is one of Jack London's most critically acclaimed stories...yet when you look up on Wikipedia it's barely two paragraphs long! This article needs to be longer! It is embarassing that a fan of Jack London would look up an article on his most famous story and find barely a page long of information on it!!! Please somebody make this article longer!!! -James Pandora Adams —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.176.154.190 (talk) 18:49, 27 February 2011 (UTC)

I agreeBmalo1 (talk) 01:33, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

I also agree. I thought that the article would be much longer than what I was reading. Ehern3 (talk) 14:12, 9 November 2017 (UTC)

I agree, maybe the cold made it too much for the man to come up with the knowledge or physical strength to build an igloo in that situation. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Nfort15 (talk • contribs) 19:28, 10 April 2018 (UTC)

If you look at the history you can read earlier much longer versions.Chemical Engineer (talk) 20:05, 27 February 2011 (UTC)

There are two versions of this story so you should use the one that best suits your needs. Will wonti (talk) 19:34, 5 April 2017 (UTC)

I agree its very short and there is no talk about the symbols which were a big part of the story and helps explain the themes.Caitlin1198 (talk) 19:37, 5 April 2017 (UTC)

It is only a short story, (just over 7000 words) I'm not sure how much more commentary is needed. This is an encyclopedia article, not a scholarly thesis paper. That said, if you think there is more valid material to add, then you are free to do so yourself. Mediatech492 (talk) 23:17, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

I agree, the article is very short and does not go into much detail other than a plot summary and one possible theme. Slibr1 (talk) 13:59, 5 April 2018 (UTC)

Reversion

I have reverted to the version of a year ago which includes a plot summary. Some proper citation and encylopedic content would be appreciated.Chemical Engineer (talk) 20:15, 27 February 2011 (UTC)

In the first paragraph, I simply want to change the wording to say two versions of a short story instead of "two short stories".Jswen1 (talk) 14:56, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

I agreeBmalo1 (talk) 01:45, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

I added an additional theme to the theme section because I think it is important to note. Slibr1 (talk) 00:27, 10 April 2018 (UTC)

Trivia

Has anyone noticed that there is a geographical error in Jack London's text? I will not say what it is right now to see if some JL fan could point it out to me...The error I'm referring to appears at the very first page of the narrative. To my knowledge, this error has never been spotted by commentators.I will just wait for one week and then I will tell the readers what it is...Gemb47 (talk) 05:41, 2 April 2011 (UTC) 77.42.225.4 (talk) 05:36, 2 April 2011 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.187.91.130 (talk) 05:13, 1 April 2011 (UTC) Well, I guess I should tell the readers what this error is! On the first page of the story, JL writes: "It had been days since he had seen the sun, and he knew that a few more days must pass before that cheerful orb, due South, would just peep above the skyline and dip immediately from view." What this means is clear : the man is walking in a region situated North of the Arctic Circle, the only region in the Northern hemisphere where the Sun disappears for days... But in the next paragraph, we are told " The man flung a look back along the way he had come... This dark hair-line was the trail- the main trail- that led South five hundred miles to the Chilkoot Pass, Dyea, and salt water; and that led North seventy miles to Dawson..." So the man is walking 70 miles South of Dawson, which represents a full degree of latitude. But the latitude of Dawson is 64.04 degrees, so the latitude of the place where the man is walking is about 63 degrees, and where he had come is still further South. This is well below the Arctic Circle(~66.75 degrees), at a latitude where the Sun never disappears completely for days: Dawson's shortest day is about four hours!Gemb47 (talk) 05:52, 10 April 2011 (UTC)

References

This article has none at all ? 168.8.212.118 (talk) 15:35, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

The man could have survived.

The man could have survived, he could have built an igloo or snow cave and sheltered there till the boys came to search for him. The dog would have helped keep him warm. I guess 19th century and early 20th century people didn't know that.

Proxima Centauri (talk) 12:18, 20 January 2014 (UTC)

Alternatively Jack London may have known that igloos and snowshelters can be built, London may have imagined the man beginning to become apathetic due to hypothermia. Proxima Centauri (talk) 16:19, 21 January 2014 (UTC)

I agree, maybe the cold made it too much for the man to come up with the knowledge or physical strength to build an igloo in that situation. Jdifi1 (talk) 12:46, 2 November 2017 (UTC)

London's story states that the man is a "chechaquo" (newcomer to the Arctic), but otherwise give us little basis to say how much (if anything) the man knew about winter survival. Any discussion on snow shelters, or any other "... maybe if he would have...." situation is irrelevant speculation. Mediatech492 (talk) 14:52, 2 November 2017 (UTC)

Although I do agree with this, I believe that the severe cold was clouding the man's judgement. He was too focused on the fire to think about anything else.Mcont4 (talk) 22:11, 8 November 2017 (UTC)

Imagery Theme

London's use of imagery should be mentioned considering its impact on the story. The author uses gloomy and dark imagery to emphasize the intense cold and further express his point Emilyworpek (talk) 17:37, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

More can be said about Jack London use of imagery He uses physical imagery throughout the story in order to allow his audience to interpret it as a greater idea and emotion-evoking thought. While attempting to make a fire "the snow fell without warning upon the man and the fire... it was like hearing his own judgment of death" he uses the fire as an image of life and death. The fire represents life and the absence of it symbolizes death.Jaceto07 (talk) 01:46, 18 April 2017 (UTC)

links

The links should be linked to a credible or scholarly source not another wiki page. Bryalis (talk) 21:11, 17 November 2016 (UTC)

The summary should mention that "The Man" was warned about his trip but refused to listen. Bryalis (talk) 21:13, 17 November 2016 (UTC)

Symbolism

Overall, I agree with the summary of the story you have created here. However, I feel as if you should incorporate some of London's symbols he uses throughout the story. The symbols he creates are so important to the relevance and understanding of the story, and I feel as if they are what makes the story itself. I would consider adding some of them in the summary. Tsansone842 (talk) 18:49, 2 April 2017 (UTC)

I agree, there are symbolic elements in the story that should be mentioned here. Pat otoole (talk) 16:53, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

There is a lot of symbols that are shown throughout the story, it should be mentioned in the overview of the story. To mention symbolism it will allow for a deeper and better understanding of the story. 9Frank (talk) 20:54, 3 April 2017 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 9Frank (talk • contribs)

There should be a separate section to talk about symbolism in the article, not just in the overview Slibr1 (talk) 14:05, 5 April 2018 (UTC)

i agree that there was a lot of symbolism missed within this article that could of been talked about but other than that i feel this article was a good summary of the story. Mmack19 (talk) 19:37, 11 April 2018 (UTC)

I agree and think symbolism should have its own section in this article because symbols were used by London throughout the entirety of the storyAnBell5 (talk) 23:04, 15 April 2018 (UTC)

Details

I agree with your plot summary; overall it was very well-written. However, I found myself getting distracted on the main point of the summary because of the amount of details it contained. I would consider removing some and leaving the readers to discover what ultimately leads to the man's demise on their own. After all, that is the joy of reading a story. Tsansone842 (talk) 18:51, 2 April 2017 (UTC)

grammer

In the opening paragraph change "an oft-cited example" to "an often-cited example"

Bmalo1 (talk) 01:50, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

Foreshadowing

Please consider adding examples of foreshadowing the the article. As soon as the author mentions "the old timer at Sulphur Creek", the reader notices something may not go right. In paragraph 5 for example, the author writes, "It certainly was cold, he concluded, as he rubbed his numb nose and cheekbones with his mittened hand". Now the reader knows it is only 9 AM, and the man won't get to camp until 6 PM, so most likely the man won't end up very well. Also, you can focus on how numb the man's hand gets when he exposes it to the cool air while picking the ice bits out of his dog's fur.Emilydean1 (talk) 16:51, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

I agree that the article should talk about London's use of foreshadow as it is evident throughout much of the story.AnBell5 (talk) 21:25, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

Foreshadowing plays an important role in this story and should definitely be talked about in this article. There are plenty of examples to talk about for foreshadowing in this story Slibr1 (talk) 14:06, 5 April 2018 (UTC)

Plural "locals"

I thought the story mentioned that only a single local man warned the hiker of the impending danger? In the first paragraph of the article it mentions that multiple locals warned the hiker.Bcana1 (talk) 19:59, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

As pointed out in the article, there are two version of this story. Is it possible that the person/people who wrote about "multiple locals" is writing about the version you didn't read? Dumas1110 (talk) 21:29, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

Symbolism

There is a lot of symbols that are shown throughout the story, it should be mentioned in the overview of the story. To mention symbolism it will allow for a deeper and better understanding of the story. 9Frank (talk) 20:54, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

This Talk page already has a section on symbolism (above). This comment should appear there. Dumas1110 (talk) 21:30, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

Themes

I added a section for themes as I felt that leaving a short blurb about a theme in the plot summary was inappropriate. I also added a theme of the story that I noticed so the section wouldn't have only one theme. Evangc (talk) 21:31, 5 April 2017 (UTC)

I added to you section on themes under stupidity and arrogance because I felt the old mans advice to the protagonist and then the protagonists disregard of that dice needed to be mentiond. Also it was another example of the protagonists arrogance. Nesch1 (talk) 04:38, 4 December 2017 (UTC)

Citations

After looking at the citations at the end of this article, I found that several of them either no longer direct me to a valid article or are of information that is not relevant to the article. Citation 1 is not anything to do with "To Build a Fire" and should be removed. Citations 2 and 4 are a University of New Haven database for the short story "To Build a Fire" and cannot be accessed by the public. Citation 6 is a movie that although related to another Jack London book, does not relate to "To Build a Fire" at all. Citation 7 is a link to yahoo movies which does not relate to "To Build a Fire." Citations 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 should be removed from the article. The information within the article that is based on these citations should be modified if necessary and cited with proper sources. Jerubino (talk) 23:42, 8 November 2017 (UTC)

I agree. These citations are not useful and are just links to the stories. Whoever put these citations in had no direct evidence from a source, they just used different links to the story to fill in for the citations. A scholarly journal should be used for a reliable source. Slibr1 (talk) 14:15, 5 April 2018 (UTC)

References

Some of the links in the reference list didn't work so I got rid of them Camcam80 (talk) 22:01, 13 November 2017 (UTC)

There are multiple links that take you to a general site not a specific page. I would recommend double checking all the links to make sure they direct you to the source material.Mconb1 (talk) 21:38, 4 April 2018 (UTC)

1902 Version

I think that the input of the earlier version is a good addition to the page, but if it's going to be added I think it needs to have a little bit more information as well as maybe a link to the story so people could read it. Jdifi1 (talk) 14:06, 9 November 2017 (UTC)

I'm going to add just a link to the story to give readers more information about the 1902 version of the story. Jdifi1 (talk) 00:40, 28 November 2017 (UTC)

The earlier version needs to be more elaborated on. Quickly talking about the differences between the other version isn't going to help give the readers of this article a better understanding of both versions. Use both versions and connect similarities, differences, common themes, symbolism, etc. Slibr1 (talk) 14:23, 5 April 2018 (UTC)

Theme addition

Under the theme portion of the article, I added a paragraph that talks about arrogance based on the story's plot. I thought that was a big theme that no one addressed. Any edits and suggestions would be highly appreciated. Thank You! Ehern3 (talk) 14:43, 21 November 2017 (UTC)

Theme Addition

Within the theme section I added a brief paragraph discussing the way in which London showed the death of the man. I felt as though the peacefulness the man experienced was important to consider in the interpretation of the story. I'm not sure if themes was the correct place to put it. If someone thinks it belongs somewhere else then feel free to move it or change anything within the post. Jerubino (talk) 02:51, 29 November 2017 (UTC)

Article Evaluation

The Article of "To Build A Fire" is relevant to the topic of man versus nature as a theme we mentioned in class I feel though the author of the article should have went into more detail about the theme within the story..

The Links do work but seem to have been edited by others because they originally didn't work.

Quotations are not integrated within this story and quotes from the story could of helped make the article better for example with the theme section of man versus nature.

Viewpoints within the article seem to be equally presented throughout of all the view points.

The plot summary is accurate to the story. Mmack19 (talk) 19:36, 11 April 2018 (UTC)