TO BUILD A FIRE

SUMMARY
To Build a Fire is a short story by Jack London that tells the tale of an unnamed man who travels alone in the
Yukon during the winter. The temperature is 60 degrees below zero, and the man falls through the ice on a
frozen stream. His feet get wet, and he knows that he needs to build a fire to dry his clothes and boots, or he will
freeze to death.
The man tries to build a fire, but his fingers are so frozen that he can't hold the matches. He eventually succeeds
in building a fire, but it goes out and he realizes that he is going to die. He accepts his fate and dies peacefully.
The dog that has been following him stays with him until the end.
The story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of traveling alone in the wilderness during the winter. It is also a
reminder of the importance of being prepared for the unexpected.
PLOT
The story begins with the unnamed man walking down a trail on a cold, gray day in the Yukon. He is on his
way to a camp near Henderson Creek, where his friends are waiting for him. The man is traveling alone, and the
temperature is 60 degrees below zero.
As the man walks, he comes to a frozen stream called Indian Creek. He decides to walk on the ice, but he falls
through and his feet get wet. The man knows that he needs to build a fire to dry his clothes and boots, or he will
freeze to death.
He finds a few pieces of wood and builds a fire, but it goes out. He tries to build another fire, but his fingers are
so frozen that he can't hold the matches. The man is starting to lose hope, but he finally manages to build a fire.
The man sits down by the fire and warms himself up. He is safe, but he knows that he cannot stay by the fire
forever. He needs to get to Henderson Creek before nightfall.
The man starts walking again, but his feet are still wet and his body is starting to get cold. He realizes that he is
going to die. He accepts his fate and lies down in the snow. The dog that has been following him stays with him
until the end.
ANALYSIS
The story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of traveling alone in the wilderness during the winter. It is also a
reminder of the importance of being prepared for the unexpected. The man in the story is an experienced
outdoorsman, but he still makes a mistake by falling through the ice. He also fails to take the necessary
precautions to stay warm, such as changing his wet socks and boots.
The story also explores the theme of survival. The man fights to survive, but he is ultimately defeated by the
harshness of nature. The dog in the story is a symbol of hope and companionship. It stays with the man until the
end, even though it knows that he is dying.
The story is well-written and suspenseful. London uses vivid imagery and sensory details to create a sense of
atmosphere and place. The story is also thought-provoking, and it raises important questions about the human
condition and the relationship between man and nature.
Formalist Critique of To Build a Fire by Jack London
Jack London's short story "To Build a Fire" is a masterclass in formalist storytelling. The story is tightly
constructed, with a clear plot, well-developed characters, and a powerful theme.
The plot of the story is simple but effective. The unnamed protagonist, an experienced outdoorsman, is traveling
alone in the Yukon during the winter. He falls through the ice on a frozen stream and his feet get wet. Knowing
that he will freeze to death if he doesn't build a fire, he struggles to do so, but his fingers are so frozen that he
can't hold the matches. Eventually, he succeeds in building a fire, but it goes out and he realizes that he is going
to die. He accepts his fate and dies peacefully.
The story's two main characters are the protagonist and the dog that follows him. The protagonist is a complex
and well-developed character. He is experienced and resourceful, but he also makes mistakes. The dog is a
symbol of hope and companionship. It stays with the protagonist until the end, even though it knows that he is
dying.
The theme of the story is survival. The protagonist fights to survive, but he is ultimately defeated by the
harshness of nature. The story also explores the themes of hubris and the importance of being prepared for the
unexpected.
London's use of language in the story is masterful. He uses vivid imagery and sensory details to create a sense
of atmosphere and place. The reader can feel the cold and the harshness of the Yukon winter. London also uses
simple language and straightforward sentence structure to create a sense of immediacy and suspense.
The story's structure is also noteworthy. The story begins with the protagonist setting out on his journey and
ends with his death. This circular structure reinforces the theme of survival and the inevitability of death.
Overall, "To Build a Fire" is a masterfully crafted story. It is a story that will stay with the reader long after they
have finished reading it.
In addition to the above, here are some other formalist elements that are noteworthy in the story:
 Symbolism: The fire in the story is a symbol of life. The protagonist's struggle to build and maintain the
fire is a metaphor for his struggle to survive. The dog is a symbol of hope and companionship.
 Irony: It is ironic that the protagonist, an experienced outdoorsman, dies in the wilderness. It is also
ironic that the dog, which is not as intelligent as the man, survives.
 Foreshadowing: London foreshadows the protagonist's death throughout the story. For example, the old
men in Fairbanks warn the protagonist not to travel alone in the Yukon during the winter. Additionally,
the protagonist's own thoughts and feelings foreshadow his death.
"To Build a Fire" is a classic example of a formalist story. It is a story that is well-crafted and well-written, and
it explores complex themes in a meaningful way.

THE STORY OF AN HOUR

SUMMARY
The Story of an Hour is a short story by Kate Chopin about a woman named Louise Mallard who reacts to the
news of her husband's death in a surprising way.
At first, Louise is grief-stricken, but as she retreats to her room to mourn, she begins to experience a strange
sense of freedom. She realizes that she will no longer be bound by the expectations of her husband or society.
She can finally live her life for herself.
Louise's sister, Josephine, becomes concerned when Louise doesn't come out of her room. She knocks on the
door and begs Louise to let her in, but Louise refuses. She is enjoying her newfound freedom and doesn't want
to be interrupted.
Just as Louise is about to descend the stairs to join her sister and Richards, her husband, Brently, walks in the
door. He had been away on a business trip and was unaware of the accident. Josephine and Richards try to
shield Brently from seeing Louise, but it's too late.
When Louise sees Brently, she is overcome with emotion and dies of a heart attack. The doctors say that she
died of the joy that kills.
The Story of an Hour is a powerful story about female empowerment and the importance of individual freedom.
It is a reminder that women should not be defined by their relationships with men, and that they have the right
to live their lives on their own terms.
PLOT SUMMARY:
The story begins with the news of Brently Mallard's death in a railroad accident. His wife, Louise, who has a
heart condition, is told the news gently by her sister, Josephine. Louise initially reacts with grief, but as she is
left alone in her room, she begins to experience a strange sense of freedom. She realizes that she will no longer
be bound by the expectations of her husband or society. She can finally live her life for herself.
Just as Louise is about to descend the stairs to join her sister and Richards, her husband, Brently, walks in the
door. He had been away on a business trip and was unaware of the accident. Josephine and Richards try to
shield Brently from seeing Louise, but it's too late.
When Louise sees Brently, she is overcome with emotion and dies of a heart attack. The doctors say that she
died of the joy that kills.
ANALYSIS:
The Story of an Hour is a powerful story about female empowerment and the importance of individual freedom.
It is set in a time when women were expected to be subservient to their husbands and had few rights of their
own. Louise's reaction to her husband's death is therefore subversive. She does not grieve for him as society
expects her to, but instead feels a sense of relief and liberation.
Louise's death at the end of the story is ironic. She dies of the joy of being free, but her freedom is ultimately
short-lived. The story suggests that women in the 19th century were trapped in a society that did not value their
independence.
The story can also be interpreted as a commentary on the dangers of repression. Louise's heart condition is
symbolic of the emotional repression that she has experienced as a woman in a patriarchal society. When she is
finally free, her heart cannot take the joy of it.
The Story of an Hour is a complex and thought-provoking story that has resonated with readers for generations.
It is a story about the power of freedom, the dangers of repression, and the challenges of living as a woman in a
patriarchal society.
A structuralist critique of Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour"
Structuralist criticism is a literary theory that examines the relationship between the different elements of a text,
such as plot, character, setting, and theme. Structuralists believe that the meaning of a text is not inherent in its
individual elements, but rather in the way that those elements are arranged and interact with each other.
In Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour," the structuralist critic would focus on the binary
oppositions that are central to the story. These oppositions include:
 Life and death
 Freedom and oppression
 Male and female
The story begins with the death of Brently Mallard, which sets the stage for the exploration of the other binary
oppositions. Louise's initial reaction to her husband's death is grief, but as she contemplates her new life without
him, she begins to feel a sense of freedom. She realizes that she will no longer be bound by the expectations of
her husband or society. She can finally live her life for herself.
However, Louise's freedom is short-lived. When she sees her husband walk in the door alive, she is overcome
with emotion and dies of a heart attack. The doctors say that she died of the joy that kills.
The story's ending is ironic, but it also underscores the structuralist idea that binaries are not always stable or
absolute. Louise's death can be seen as a result of her inability to reconcile the binary opposition of life and
death. She is so happy to see her husband alive that her heart cannot take it.
The story's binary oppositions also highlight the challenges that women faced in the 19th century. Louise is
trapped in a society that values male power and control over female freedom and independence. Her death is a
reminder of the cost that women often had to pay for asserting their freedom.
In addition to the binary oppositions, the structuralist critic would also examine the symbolism and imagery in
the story. For example, the open window in Louise's room symbolizes her newfound freedom. The springtime
setting also suggests new beginnings and new possibilities.
Overall, a structuralist critique of "The Story of an Hour" would reveal the story's complex and nuanced
exploration of binary oppositions, gender, and freedom. The story is a reminder that the world is not always
black and white, and that individuals often struggle to navigate the binary oppositions that society imposes on
them.