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What is the main reason the man in Jack London's "To Build a Fire" ultimately fails to survive the extreme cold of the Yukon wilderness?
Rationale
The man disregards the old-timer's warning about the dangers of traveling alone in the Klondike when temperatures drop below −50°F. After his feet get wet, he manages to build a fire, but it gets extinguished when snow falls from a spruce tree overhead. His later attempts to start another fire fail because of his frozen hands, and he ultimately succumbs to the cold. His critical mistake is his arrogant dismissal of nature's power and the wisdom gained from experience.
What is the main reason the man in "To Build a Fire" ultimately fails to survive in the Yukon wilderness?
Rationale
Despite several warnings from an experienced old-timer on Sulphur Creek—who cautioned that no one should travel alone in the Klondike when temperatures drop below fifty degrees below zero—the man arrogantly brushes off this advice. His critical mistake is failing to acknowledge and respect the indifferent, overwhelming force of nature, which London uses to highlight the theme of naturalism: nature is incredibly powerful and completely indifferent to human survival.
What is the main reason the man in "To Build a Fire" fails to survive the extreme cold of the Yukon wilderness?
Rationale
The man repeatedly brushes off the warning from the old-timer from Sulphur Creek that no one should travel alone in the Yukon when temperatures drop below fifty degrees below zero. His critical mistake is his lack of imagination and overconfidence in his ability to withstand the cold — he fails to fully understand the seriousness of the danger he is in, which ultimately results in his death.