When a family goes on a vacation, the parents usually check the weather forecast to pack appropriate clothes for the climate and temperature. Many times the family may forget an item, which results in discomfort or a simple inconvenience. For example, if one forgets a toothbrush, the result might be a smell breath and a trip to the local pharmacy. Rarely would this simple mistake lead to a life or death situation. In “To Build a Fire,” the man makes a few simple mistakes, but these mistakes lead to grave consequences. Jack London portrays nature as man’s ultimate challenger to life in “To Build a Fire,”, which is demonstrated through the man’s lack of preparation, battle, and eventual defeat.

Jack London implies that the man is underestimating his hidden opponent through his lack of imagination and ignorance to the warning signs around him. The man is unable to imagine the harsh conditions and the battle he has to go through with nature in order to reach his destination (“To Build a Fire” 340). The lack of the man’s imagination reflects his inability to recognize his limitations. He never has the foresight to place himself in the position where he will need help from others to save his own life. He also cannot imagine how quick he has to respond to mistakes he might make along the journey to save himself (Widdicombe). London states that “fifty degrees below zero stood for a bite of frost that hurt and that must be guarded against by the use of mittens, ear-flaps, warm moccasins, and thick socks” (London 623). This simple packing list of items would be suitable for cold weather, but it is not suitable for preparing for some of Earth’s harshest climate. Extra clothing and shoes may give the man a second chance for survival. Beyond the lack of preparation, the man ignores warnings signs around him. Evans points out that the story begins with a gloomy foreshading, proving that it was not a good day to travel, and bad things were bound to happen. It appears that the warning signs not to make the journey are everywhere, and the stubborn man ignores these signs (Evans 307). The dog also provides several warning signs that the man ignores. For example, a critic implies that “despite its heavy fur, a dog dislikes traveling in brutally cold weather. It knows instinctively that the temperature is actually seventy-five below zero and that no one should be out in such ‘tremendous cold’” (“To Build a Fire” 336). Although the dog could not understand this concept, the dog instinctively knows that no one should be traveling in these harsh conditions. Also, Welsh reinforces the concept by reminding the reader that the man is out of his element, and the dog is more intuned with its surroundings. This breed of dog has evolved to be prepared for these conditions, unlike the man. Rhodes supports this idea by stating “his humanity hovers precariously just above the level of dumb beast: he lacks the instinct of his dog, yet, despite his vigilance and keen observation, he lacks the imagination and thoughts about the significance of things, and he trudges in the silence of his ‘ice-muzzle’ formed by the frozen tobacco juice in his beard, seemingly oblivious to the minor pain of frost-nipped cheeks” (Rhodes). The man lacks the knowledge to comprehend the severity of the environment around him, and his dog may actually have a keener sense that they should not be on this trail in such cold conditions. The roles are reversed with the man wearing a muzzle, while the dog proves to be smarter in this situation. London clearly describes the simple-minded thought process that prevents the man from imagining the environment he faces as he ignores the warning signs around him.

After failing to properly prepare for the journey, the man views each battle with nature as a simple obstacle, but his mistakes soon lead to his demise. The man begins to recognize that his battle with nature is beginning when Jack London writes that the man “forced some water from his mouth as an experiment. There was a sudden noise that surprised him. He tried it again. And again, in the air, before they could fall to the snow, the drops of water became ice that broke with a noise” (London 621). This example is the first clue that the man will face obstacles, but he is confident that the obstacles are only temporary setbacks. Although the man does not have the experience, he does have a little knowledge because he knows “to get his feet wet in such temperature meant trouble and anger. At the very least it meant delay, because he would be forced to stop and build a fire” (London 624). The man misunderstands that what may seem to be a delay could actually result in his death. Furthermore, the man also makes mistakes that make his journey more difficult to survive. For example, the man tries to eat his lunch, but he cannot open his mouth due to his icy beard. He realizes his mistake when he did not build a fire to warm his food as well as himself prior to eating lunch (London 625). This is a small mistake, but the man learns that unless he is moving, he cannot function without a fire. After falling into the creek, the man makes his second mistake by building his fire beneath the tree canopy. As the snow falls from the branches, the fire is snuffed out, which prevents the man from drying out and warming up. Unfortunately, this is the turning point in the story of nature winning the war. The man finally acknowledges that the old-timer, who previously offers advice, is correct, and he should not make the trip alone. Having a travel partner would increase the man’s chance for survival (“To Build a Fire” 339). The man understands what he must do to survive; however, he is physically unable to complete the simple task of lighting a match. His impaired physical ability is not foreseen during his preparation. The man might travel with a companion if he images this situation prior to his departure (McClintock 356). The man is short-sided with individual battles that he must overcome through his journey. The man does not see the big picture of the brutal war that he is doomed to lose (“To Build a Fire” 338). With each battle that the man undertakes against nature, simple mistakes lead to the man’s downfall.

Another way Jack London portrays nature as the ultimate challenger in life is through the defeat and death of the man. The man becomes so weak that he begins to panic as he makes poor choices to survive. For example, Welsh describes the man as desperate when “he can only think of killing the dog to put his hands in the carcass to relieve their numbness... The man goes wild and catches the dog but soon realizes he cannot kill it because he cannot use his hands” (Welsh 4174). This illustrates that his desperation for warmth would come at any cost. Ironically, the lack of functioning hands actually saves the dog. In his last attempt to save his own life, the man runs on his frozen feet in hopes to regain feeling in his extremities. This act is contradictory to the advice from the old-timer because he says the last thing to do is run if the man is too cold. The man’s reasoning is altered since he is now doomed to die (“To Build a Fire” 339). The man proceeds to hallucinate, and he imagines himself with outer body experiences. London states that “he pictures the boys finding his body the next day. Suddenly, he saw himself with them, coming along the trail and looking for himself. And, still with them, he came around a turn in the trail and found himself lying in the snow” (London 634). The man clearly loses the war with nature as he succumb to death. Once death is imminent, the man decides to die with dignity. The only way to achieve dignity while alone is to give into the bitter cold without a fight. By sitting still, the man allows his body to fall into a deep sleep (Hedrick 354). To show that one cannot escape death, Evans says, “all human beings (London implies) are, like this man, on an ultimately lonely journey in a forbidding and unforgiving environment - a journey that will inevitable end in death” (Evans 307). Regardless of which path people choose in life, all paths eventually end in human death. The defeat and death of the man illustrates that nature cannot be contained and always finds a way to beat man.

Through the man’s preparation, battle, and eventual defeat, Jack London depicts nature as man’s ultimate challenger to life in “To Build a Fire.” The man’s shortcomings in preparing for his journey prove he lacks imagination to foresee the true forces that nature can create. As the man precedes down the path, many obstacles appear to be small challenges, but the man’s mistakes in these small battles lead to losing the war. With death being inevitable, the man quickly turns to panic and desperation as he finally gives in to death with dignity. Regardless of how much people can prepare for their journey through life, the end result will always be the same.