Author Question: In To Build a Fire the man is never given a name. What is the effect ofhis simply being called the ... (Read 591 times)

itsmyluck · **on:** Jul 20, 2018

In To Build a Fire the man is never given a name. What is the effect ofhis simply being called the man throughout the story?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

From what point of view is Londons story told?

What will be an ideal response?

Awesome · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 20, 2018

Answer to Question 1

The mans namelessness seems simultaneously to make him a representative of all humanity in his fight against natures relentless assault and to emphasize hisand consequently our insignificance in the face of such overwhelming odds.

Answer to Question 2

To Build a Fire is told from the point of view of an omniscient narrator who describes the landscape objectively, and who can see into both the mans mind and the dogs. This seamless ability of the narrator to flip back and forth is exemplified in a passage like this: Working carefully from a small beginning, the man soon had a roaring fire, over which he thawed the ice from his face . . . The dog took satisfaction in the fire, stretching out close enough for warmth and far enough away to escape being singed (par. 15).