Life Requires ImaginationFew people have looked death in the eye. But when a person does it, something can have a drastic effect on them. Some people are able to survive their death, but others eventually die and are unable to change their lives. However, in the short story To Build a Fire by Jack London, the man in the story does not survive his dance with death. In the story, the man, whose name we never learn, embarks on a very long, very cold journey to a mining camp. During his journey, he must stop several times and light a fire in order to keep warm and continue functioning throughout his journey to camp. He gets driven by a dog, then he has to save the dog as he falls through the ice. Shortly after, he ends up falling into the ice himself, he continues to light fires to keep warm but the dog seems to stay closer to the fire than himself. This acts as if the dog is trusting its instincts to stay warm. However, fires are becoming increasingly difficult to start. Soon, in order to light the fire, he uses the rest of his matches all at once to try to light a good fire. However, all the matches end, and then the man knows he's really in trouble. He decides to lie down and face his death. As he slowly dies, he falls into the most wonderful sleep he has ever known. He ends up dying and the dog howls at the moon as he passes away. This story is intended to teach the meaning of life. There are difficult times and there are times when the fire starts without hesitation. And ultimately, in life, a person must die. London uses three themes in its story to help the reader understand the meaning of life for London. The three themes used by London are pride, ...... middle of paper ...... is the dog, takes off his gloves and starts doing the same thing (13). Although man follows some of the dog's instincts, he still thinks that his judgment is better than that of the dog. Again, London mentions the dog and being around the fire. He states: “The man did not know the cold” but “the dog did; all his ancestors knew it, and he had inherited the knowledge” (16). Throughout this story, the dog shows how his primitive instincts overpower the man's judgment and, ultimately, the man loses his life because of the judgment he chooses to use. In this story, London uses a traveling man to show how a person should use certain things in their life. Although a person may want to maintain their pride,Works CitedLondon, Jack. “To Build a Fire, by Jack London.” Making a Fire, by Jack London. The World of Jack London, nd Web. May 12 2014.