What is the meaning of life? Ask it a thousand times to a thousand people and you will get a thousand different opinions on this existence. The most complicated part of the question is who is doing the asking. Who is the person that is behind the eyes that seeks this understanding? Jack London's story "To Build a Fire" examines this very complex idea.  It was quickly evident that London, through the elements of setting, allegory, conflict and resolution, puts forth a simple theme that will be experienced by every creature that has ever been and ever will be born- Without fail, man’s path through life is a solitary one that will unavoidably end at the mercy of nature; the struggle against this fact stems from the suffering that comes when a man makes it his goal to find meaning of his existence rather than understanding that the very act of existing is the meaning.

For London to chase down his theme for the reader, he needed to find the perfect backdrop. He uniquely establishes a setting as well as an antagonist all in one fell swoop. The reader is transported to the Yukon Trail, a legendary and dangerous thirty-three- mile long artic trail that connects British Columbia, Canada with Alaska. Excruciatingly painful and dangerous under normal circumstances, it turns lethal in the dead of winter. We meet a man, whose name is not mentioned, that is venturing off the beaten trail into the brutal cold. “Following at the man’s heels was a big native dog”, The man believes that this animal is his close ally, but in truth, like all of us, he was very much alone. London creates an atmosphere where one can see the frosty breath and feel the cold wind as it cuts through the scene. It is so vivid the reader almost can feel the crunch of the ice and snow under the man’s boot as he trudges along. 

London leaves very little room for interpretation. He crafts the story such that the moral is out in the open. Anyone who cares to see it, can.  Arrogance plagues the man from his first step in to the cold until his last. “this fact did not worry the man”, is a recurring thought process attributed to the man throughout the adventure.  Several times along his route the man thinks back to sage advice that was offered to him that he arrogantly ignored: “that man at Sulphur Creek had spoken the truth when telling how cold it gets sometimes in this country. And he had laughed at him at the time”. By the time he starts to realize the advice was needed, it was too late- “All this the man knew. The old man on Sulphur Creek had told him about it, now he was grateful for the advice”. The reader finally comes to understand the purpose of the dog to the narrative of the story. The animal’s instincts are far superior to the arrogant man’s intellectualism. All of these things are metaphors for life that any of us could understand if we take the time. As we venture through our existence there is always advisors that we should listen too. There is always an awe of nature that we must keep. There is always a time to demure to the wiser party and pay attention to our circumstances. The man in this story is teaching a walking lesson to be learned for anyone interested in keeping life. 
