Download now
Based on real experiences, Plug London’s tales of high escapades have been appealing to millions of viewers worldwide. With naturalism function of fiction and one common topic – vigorous nature – in the works, the truly great author often took wonderful care to depict his characters and the struggles with nature to expose man’s qualities in strong situations. “To build a fire” is a good model. By making a context of severe weather with white-colored frost dominating throughout the story, Jack London was good in portraying his protagonist Tom Vincent with all positive and unfavorable qualities.
The character’s positive features were unveiled from the beginning with the story. In the first web page, readers may easily perceive that Tom Vincent was a good man. The protagonist was described as “a strapping youthful fellow, big-boned and big-muscled, with trust in himself in addition to strength of his head and hands. ” With good detailed words, the writer created a vivid picture of a child who was strong both mentally and physically.
He was brave and ready to handle difficulties with a good belief in himself. He did not hide from your severe components; instead, “he was in it, facing it, struggling with it”.
Furthermore, Tom Vincent was a intelligent and clear-headed person. He knew how to protect himself in the freezing weather. Noticing the biting on cold, “he leaped to his toes and leaped briskly up the trail”; also, he applied his nostril and cheeks till that they burned together with the returning bloodstream, which made him warmer. When he experienced the frosty water strike his feet and ankles, he understood “the action to take, and the only thing to do, was going to build a fire”. Though declining to set a fire many times and almost hopeless along with his numb hands, Tom Vincent could keep his mind appear enough to create the idea of burning up his hands to get back their feeling and continued to build an additional fire. Clearly, Tom was a man who could react to difficult scenarios quite flexibly and wisely.
The most impressive quality of Tom Vincent is his strong success instinct with great determination and perseverance, which was vividly described through the character’s constant attempts to generate a fire in freezing weather condition. When Mary was conscious of his dangerous situation, this individual didn’t believe so much but concentrated on building a fire – everything could conserve his existence at that moment. In the first look at, he kneeled down to kindle fire his flames. Despite his unmittened firm fingers, he told him self not to be quick things and cherished his fire together with the utmost care. However , the frost required him to suffer more. His small flame, his little lumination of hope, was shortly buried beneath the snow that fell down from the pine boughs. Regardless of the fear and panic growing larger and bigger inside him, he retained his presence of mind. This individual did not allow himself being overwhelmed by the adversity and started at once to rebuild the fire. Sadly, he failed at the very beginning when he lowered the meet in the snow and could certainly not pick it up once again with his numb fingers. Anxious, but he, though painfully, stood up, stepped to just one side to avoid being disturbed by the falling snow through the pine boughs, “beat his hands strongly against a tree-trunk”, and made another make an effort.
Still, the aggressive factors kept worrying the unpleasant man. Tom’s tiny fire was quenched one more time in the shaking hands due to the severe cold. After consecutive failures, Tom nearly collapsed with despair, although quickly, this individual ran up the trail to look for help. This individual still assumed there was an additional solution obtainable somewhere. Even though he had identified that there was no help, no signal of help nevertheless the emotionless white-colored frost plus the brazen stop, his desire of being rescued promptly captivated again when ever his eye chanced upon one more high-water lodgment of twigs and branches. He started over to build a flames! He tried to overcome the health of numb hands with all fingers straight out by “pressing the wrist of the other palm against them” and finally was able to ignite the match. Sadly, the fire burned in the flesh of his palm, which manufactured him involuntarily relax his hold and helplessly enjoy the meet fall into the snow. The fire went out. Again, he happened to run, in his many terrible stress, but the only thing this individual could find was an empty shelter of moose-hunters. This time, this individual felt so badly frightened that he went under down and sobbed, practically accepting that everything was over. When ever all the gates seemed to be closed, his appreciate of life burned strongly than ever. He “sprang once again to his feet”, thinking quickly, and found out ways to save his life – burning his hands to regain their sense. This individual set the teeth to bear the pain due to the fire licking his skin. Apparently, that he writhed around with the torment, yet held within the fire, was your greatest proof of his challenging survival intuition. The heroic measure plus the amazing bravery to act above the extremity salvaged him via death. Through Tom Vincent’s continuous efforts to build a fireplace, readers is able to see clearly the character’s sturdiness and flat iron will. In spite of the severe hardship, he made wonderful efforts; regardless of the great efforts, he made constant failures; despite the continuous failures, he constantly gave himself another chance to survive.
Beside the positive attributes, readers can see the existence of unfavorable traits in the character’s personality, which brought him close to death. Tom Vincent was revealed as a great overconfident, very subjective and pompous young man. Ignoring the principle of the north, “Never travel alone”, Jeff, by himself, began his journey in a extreme weather condition with just a light pack in the back, a set of moccasins on his feet, and an over-optimistic attitude on the new, odd and lonesome route. At the start of the quest, he was moving along the trek and liked it using his great excitement. He was fearless with the thought that “there was no prospect of getting lost” and considered a nose-strap “feminine contraption”. Although the nature did advise him of its getting rid of freezing frosty, Tom enjoyed the all�gresse with a satisfied attitude. This individual assumed that he was better than the factors and regarded himself because master with the elements. “He laughed aloud in large strength of life, and with his clenched fist defied the frost”. It was his overconfidence that made him take almost all miseries later on.
Tom was a strong and smart young man; yet, it absolutely was not enough pertaining to him inside the fight against the cruel nature. In the dual with Mother earth, he was just a child. He failed to approximate all risky accidents that did affect him during his journey. First of all, he hadn’t regarded how harsh the weather was and soon after felt the necessity of a nose-strap that he previously scorned ahead of. Moreover, he built a fire under a pinus radiata tree with snowy boughs that blotted out his flame. As well, he couldn’t imagine that his hands fantastic body could become such numb and worthless types that avoided him coming from building a open fire. Ultimately, this individual regretted overlooking the precept of the north and wanted to have a comrade in whose feet weren’t freezing to start out a fire that could save him. After suffering from continuous bitter failures, Jeff, a taping man, sank down and sobbed like a child. Plug London was successful employing contrast to paint his character: one particular arrogant in the beginning and one particular miserable at the end. Through that, the author demonstrated us the outcomes of his character’s weak points. Though convinced that Tom Vincent deserved to pay for his selfishness, readers feel sorry for him. If he previously been a great listener – traveling with a companion or starting the journey within a better the weather, he more than likely have decreased into this kind of a deadly situation that nearly got his existence away.
The storyline ended which has a Tom Vincent surviving but totally different from your Tom at the beginning. He started to be “sensitive to frost” and “lays over the precept with the North”. This individual finally had taken a nasty lesson from Mother Nature. After analyzing the character’s positive and adverse qualities, we are able to learn useful lessons: a will of iron can be described as weapon that helps us conquer difficulties in life, even inside the worst situation; however , by no means underestimate potential risks about us, and stay a good fan base. A man using good qualities just like Tom Vincent could be a incredibly successful person in the modern world today; nevertheless, it’s the arrogance that could destroy every his achievement. Hence, a guy can succeed only when he understands the rules of mother nature and the rules of your life to take appropriate actions in most adventures during his life.
you
