Nicholls 1 Vivian Nicholls Miss Danielson EAE 3UB 13 December 2021 Pride Is the Deadliest of Sins There are times when doing things autonomously is the best option. Walking off the main trail in a new region is not one of them. The story of a man on his solitary trek to a camp in the wintery northern Yukon is told in Jack London's novel "To Build a Fire". which was published in the early twentieth century. This man encounters other characters who have experience on this subject, however he does not take their guidance and believes that he will not require additional support. Once on his journey, he realizes that he misjudged the situation then his regrets become apparent and he fixates on those missed opportunities. This piece is an allegory in which "the man" personifies arrogance along with narcissism since he chose to be self-reliant and refused to show that he cannot handle the challenges(London). "The man" underestimated the knowledge that was given to him by people who made the similar trek and tried to prove his dominance by getting to the camp without certain benefits such as a partner or a sled(London). The old man from Sulfur Creek is a recurring character who is often looked back upon as someone who tried to give advice, namely not traveling in -50-degree temperature or without a companion. He symbolizes knowledge since he is well informed on the territory and was willing to share his experience. Of all the things he told him the sole piece of advice he kept was not falling through the ice. "The man" kept this in mind since it posed the biggest threat to his well being(London). He stated "50 degrees below zero was to him nothing more than 50 degrees below zero." thereby saying he can handle the weather and the worst it could do is make him feel uncomfortable(London 65). When "the Nicholls 2 man" was able to survive part way through on his journey, he said they were overdramatic as well as "womanish"(London 72). It feeds his desire to be superior since he was able to surpass the so-called necessity to accomplish such a feat. Ironically, he faces a situation in which being with a partner could have helped him and he learns to regret not heeding the warnings. He is not open to learning from other’s past experiences which is caused by an overbearing sense of pride in addition to an unwillingness to depend on others. He desperately wants to be seen as independent and strong so he does not appear to show any sign of curiosity. Subsequently it will negate the possibility of its interpretation showing "the man[‘s]" negative qualities such as vulnerability or mediocrity(London). Considering that he is a newcomer to the notion of winter, he lacks comprehension on the proper technology skill that would be helpful during his journey. Instead of inquiring about how he could use it he decides to completely ignore it and views it as a weakness. He stated that without a nose guard it would only be "a little bit painful" so he could manage without one. His journey was unnecessarily difficult and aspects such as the ice on his face could have been avoided by putting the proper gear in use(London 68). "The man" was advised by others who had known the risks of the impending journey had in store for him, however his feeling of superiority and close-mindedness did not allow him to think that he would be affected(London). He wanted to assert his dominance by navigating his way to the trail without using tools that would support him or being accompanied. He saw it as support which could discredit his accomplishment and put him on the same level as others who are supposedly beneath him. A key feature of arrogance is being self-serving which he demonstrates by viewing those around him as expendable. With the dog he often cursed at it and refused to treat it like another living being by not offering any food. "The man" went Nicholls 3 as far as pushing the dog on a patch of ice to see if it were safe to cross which resulted in it falling through(London). He treated the dog as a tool and showed little to no remorse for endangering the animal's life. It was done for reasons which would be advantageous for him such as testing the thickness of the ice. Not too long after, needing a heat he decided to kill the dog then warm up his hands in the carcass. He was not able to go through with it due to his physical limitations and not his personal morals. His ability to endanger the animal for his own benefit displays his egocentrism. The dog was a victim of cruelty since it was kept around when he needed to test something out but would not be able to communicate the events that occurred so "the man['s]" character could not be questioned(London). "The man['s]" hyper independence which does not allow him to consider the advice of those wiser than him leads to feeling regretful and admitting his faults(London). For instance, if he traveled with someone else then they could have helped each other build fires and cross the frozen creeks. At many moments his regrets are made clear and he even admits that the old man on sulfur creeks was right. In moments of desperation, he realized his faults and could come to terms with how he underestimated the situation. He came to accept that he was not the best and not feel guilty for relying on others. This story characterizes conceit by showing the protagonist fall from completely trusting himself and his abilities to reflecting on his mistakes which may have been avertable. He refused to utilize the proper tools or consider that those around him could have helpful information. Furthermore, he used others to get ahead instead of attempting to work with them to create better strategies. These traits contributed to his demise then and his probable ending in Yukon. He wanted to make himself look courageous and be admired for his ability to make such an arduous journey with less than ideal conditions. However, he needed to admit that it was an Nicholls 4 unattainable goal and search for a new way to go on his journey. In addition, "the man" would accept that the support he would get from the others' insight was not a drawback and it would not take away from his achievement(London). In the end his ability to come to terms with his fate makes him a more relatable character since his facade of being perfect was shattered. Had he approached the journey with an open mind it would allow him to have better judgment and understanding of the situation. Nicholls 5 Work cited London, Jack. To Build a Fire. Century Magazine, 1908. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021.