Literary Analysis Essay on Build a Fire by Baym

Introduction

This paper helps to examine the literary work entitled to Build a Fire by Baym; (2017). It is a story that takes place in Yukon in the winter period. The story is told by a man who has the intention of meeting the boys and thus has to personally travel during winter although he is unfamiliar with the place. It was the man the first time to experience the winter season since he was from another land. Therefore, it was clear that the man suffered lack of imagination since he could feel and see that it was cold, but he kept traveling without giving attention to the weather.

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The Language of the Chosen Text

The author used various stylistic devices in his literary work. Thus, it was more effective and appropriately passed on the intended meaning. The diction choice was valid. In this case, London and Jack; (2017) presented that, "a man who is not familiar with the place traveling during winter when the weather is not favorable simply because he wish to see the son," Pg.641). This showed the miserable nature of the man since he had no idea how cold the place was likely to become.

Additionally, the author adequately utilized syntax in his work. There were long and short sentences throughout the text; making them be complicated, simple or compound sentences. The sentences were written in either passive or active voices. Moreover, the author had a negative tone towards the subject of building a fire. This was supported by how he revealed that nobody could dare travel in the place when it was cold and especially during the winter season. The author presented the hardship that the man experienced while on the journey. This was indicated when he pointed out that at some point the man stepped on an ice piece that was thin something that caused his feet to sink in the hole. In the same manner, it was noted that the author's work was well organized. The flow of events happening to the man on a journey was done correctly. In this case, Nina and Robert," presented a man in a new land, then he shows how he struggled to travel during winter. The journey was presented to become worse when the man experienced numbness and had to light the fire". Unexpectedly, the weather condition gets worse to a point where ice caused the death of the traveling man. The situational irony was created by the author whereby the man who seemed courageous to travel during winter ended up dying despite his determination to see the boys. It was also ironical that as the phrase building fire was used in the context, at the end the man involved could no longer build a fire. Surprisingly, there was no one to make a fire.

The author also used the flashback. At the point where the man was near his death, London and Jack; (2017) showed that "he remembered old-timer man who had warned him about traveling during winter, but he did not take the advice. Instead, the man proceeded to do what he thought was the right thing despite the man sharing of how he had a fall in such a season. Thus, the man appreciated the old man advice although he never paid attention to it" (Pg. 646). Finally, it was noted that the author utilized imagery in the analyzed context. The author created the image of the man when his journey was coming to an end. Picture of a man was sinking in a hole trying to build a fire, and he was freezing. However, snow from the tree top fell on the fire due to the man pulling branches. It was therefore impossible for the man to make fire.

The Significance of the Passage

The analyzed context was significant. The importance was as a result of the various lessons that the reader could learn from the man on the journey. First, the study portrayed the need to take advice seriously. If only the traveling man had taken the old man advice not to travel during the cold season, then he could not have met his death in the manner at which it occurred. Secondly, the story presented that there is a need for individuals to have the correct reasoning. Franklin et al.; (2008), showed that "although the man had never experienced a winter season, he failed to reason about what such a season entailed and the possible consequences of his journey during that season." Thus, instead of the man getting at the set destination he ended up in a dark place. Thirdly, the author presented the impacts of taking risks when a person does not have an idea of what the risk entails. The man was unfamiliar with the place and the winter season but just set his mind to keep traveling to meet the boys. Finally, the author presented the importance of an individual being realistic instead of being optimistic or pessimistic. From the story, the traveling man was confident to the extent that he could not see possible dangers that were ahead.

Works Cited

Franklin, Wayne et al. "The Norton Anthology American Literature.".Shorter 7th Edition. (2008).

Nina Baym, Robert Levine "The Norton Anthology of American Literature." Shorter 8th Edition. (1865 to present).

London, Jack. To Build a Fire. The Norton Anthology American Literature Shorter Ninth Edition Volume II: 1865 To The Present, edited by Robert S. Levine, W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 2017, pp.641-652.