FratFiles

• Save Paper

Introduction

Jack London had already established himself as a popular writer when his story "To Build a Fire" appeared in the Century Magazine in 1908. This tale of an unnamed man's disastrous trek across the Yukon Territory near Alaska was well received at the time by readers and literary critics alike. While other works by London have since been faulted as overly sensational or hastily written, "To Build a Fire" is still regarded by many as an American classic. London based the story on his own travels across the harsh, frozen terrain of Alaska and Canada in 1897-98 during the Klondike gold rush; he is also said to have relied on information from a book by Jeremiah Lynch entitled Three Years in the Klondike. Critics have praised London's story for its vivid evocation of the Klondike territory. In particular, they focus on the way in which London uses repetition and precise description to emphasize the brutal coldness and unforgiving landscape of the Northland, against which the......

View the rest of this paper...

Approximate Word Count: 880
Approximate Pages: 4 (250 words per double-spaced page)

Similar Essays

1. Jack London: To Build A Fire
   

   Jack London: To Build a Fire. ... Critical Overview Since its first publication in 1908,
   Jack London's short story "To Build a Fire" has been wellreceived. ...

2. Jack London'S To Build A Fire: Theme
   

   Jack London's To Build A Fire: Theme. Jack London's To Build a Fire: Theme
   The significance of the words "dying and death" in Jack ...

3. Jack London'S To Build A Fire: Theme
   

   Jack London's To Build a Fire: Theme. The significance of the words "dying
   and death" in Jack London's 1910 novel, "To Build a Fire ...

4. Jack London: To Build A Fire
   

   Jack London: To Build a Fire. Nature is always pushing man to his limits.
   When man heeds the warning signs that nature has to offer ...

5. To Build A Fire By Jack London
   

   To Build a Fire by Jack London. “To Build a Fire” is a story about one character,
   the man. This man throughout the story doesn’t say one word. ...