"To Build a Fire" by Jack London is a short story about a man traveling with just his dog in extreme winter weather. The man is a Chechquo or "tenderfoot" in this environment, meaning that he is new to the area, and is unaware of all the dangers of the Yukon. The main character learns that he is unable to survive in the severe circumstances. The man realizes his fate after it is too late to change it. The character lacks the skills and abilities to survive in this harsh environment. . He also lacks the wisdom and instinct and respect of the environment to complete his journey. The man ultimately dies do to his arrogance and ignorance and irresponsibility.
             At the beginning of the story, the man is exceedingly confidante in his journey and truly believes that he will be successful in reaching his camp. He receives advice from an old man at Sulphur Creek. The old man tells the young traveler about the hazards of venturing in the area alone during the bitter cold. The young traveler, over confident in his own mind, does not take heed to the warnings of the old man. If the man had another human to accompany him on his trek, he would be much safer. The traveler thinks of the old-timer as womanish at the time the advice was being given. The old man represents wisdom in the short story. The traveler has complete disregard for the old man's wisdom and knowledge. A combination of arrogance and confidence is apparent with every thought the traveler has. The young traveler is not a complete idiot; he does show some resourcefulness when he has the dog walk in front of him to check for soft spots in the ice and snow. The dog in the story represents instinct. The dog is a breed that is made of this type of climate, a wolf-type dog, a husky.
             Along the trail, the man falls into a hidden spring of unfrozen water, and becomes wet. The dog also falls into the springs, and quickly chews the ice from his paws. The dog i...