“But man is part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself. » This quote from Rachael Carson evokes the internal struggle of man in his desire to survive in the face of the incessant assaults of nature. “To Build a Fire” by Jack London expresses an existential crisis through the concept of naturalism. To make readers understand that when man is at the mercy of nature, animal instinct prevails over scientific technology, London juxtaposes the two types of knowledge and their evolution throughout the icy trek endured by a man and his dog through the Yukon Trail using setting, characterization and imagery. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay To begin with, the setting of the story is essential to the meaning of the work because it is a relentless and static antagonist. The details of the imagery regarding the setting of the story demonstrate that both man and dog are subject to nature and therefore the characters must return to their known means of survival. In the exhibit, the author introduces the setting by describing the man who “…diverted from the main Yukon Trail and climbed the high earthen embankment, where an unused and unused trail led east through the lush spruce forest” (London, 1). London expresses the extremes of the freezing weather by describing it syntactically as “…cold and gray, extremely cold and gray…” (1). Moreover, the author personifies the weather in such passages: “He was losing his battle against the frost. It was seeping into his body from all sides. By emphasizing the freezing temperature of the surrounding nature, London makes the setting a catalyst for the theme of triumphant knowledge of instinct. The characters are forced to survive using the strategies they are accustomed to. Then, meaningful characterization shows how each character reacts to the setting, with victory reigning. The struggle between science and instinct becomes clearer, as the man symbolizes humanity and the dog represents animal instincts. This is inferred, as neither character is given a name. As a technologically savvy human being, man relies on artificial means such as matches and thermal clothing including “…mittens, earflaps, warm moccasins, and thick socks” (1) versus nature. Meanwhile, the dog “…simply obeyed the mysterious prompting that arose from the deep crystals of his being…” (3) by biting the ice between his toes and cherishing the man for his gift of fire. Additionally, this man's tragic human flaw is that he is arrogant and chooses to disregard the advice of those who are wiser and more experienced. Meanwhile, the dog followed his instinct, because “…all his ancestors knew it, and he had inherited this knowledge” (2). When the man disappears at the denouement, the characterization of the setting proves that the dog's instinctive knowledge was more successful than the man's artificial resources. Finally, the images in the story record realistic and relevant deadly trends, so as to win the audience's sympathy. and thus illustrate the meaning of the work as a whole. Each vivid image elicits a unique response from the reader so that the author is able to depict a specific theme. London contrasts the characters' responses to the setting by evoking various senses, notably those of sight and hearing. For example, the author stimulates the sense of sight by describing the man as "...a man with warm whiskers, but the hair on his face did not protect,.