In order for a story to be a tragedy, a death or downfall of a main character must occur. Jack London’s story, To Build a Fire, does just that. The story depicts a man, high on his own masculine pride, and his dog risking their lives in way below freezing temperatures in Alaska. The man, ignoring advice of another older and wiser man, sets out in the treacherous weather with the idea that he will be able to make it to a camp site full of his friends who endured this land together. The man inevitably died because he was not knowledgeable enough to take on this terrain on his own. This story brings to light to harsh reality that is men must be manly, they cannot seek help or take advice because doing so poses question for their masculinity.
