In the story, “To Build a FIre” by Jack London, the protagonist exhibits arrogance which proves to be a fatal mistake. The reader can see his arrogance after discovering this man is traveling alone in subzero weather. An older man had warned him of the dangers of traveling alone, yet the man decided he could take care of himself. After being in the cold for awhile the man reflected upon the old man’s warning: “The old timer on Sulphur Creek told him about it the previous fall, and now he was appreciating the advice.” This quotation tells us that the man had remembered the old man’s warning and what it cost him after he failed to listen. Right before this excerpt the man had fallen into water up to his knees and he desperately needed to
Quote 2: “It was like that time I threw you into the sulfur spring to teach you how to swim, ‘ he said. ‘You might have been convinced you were going to drown, but I knew you’d do just fine.” (236)
1. He warned him of a bad ending and his life's in danger. It relates to the story that he is really going to die
This means that he wants to abandon the burden that has been lifted onto his shoulders, yet deep inside, his conscience reminds him that it is his duty to keep his father and himself alive, so he refuses to abandon his
The man’s arrogance causes him to believe that he is subjected from listening to the man from Sulphur Creeks’ advice about traveling in the cold alone. London expresses through the man’s arrogance how no one is an exception to death because death is certain for everyone. Prince Prospero, hiding in his secluded castle, and the man, continuing his journey despite the threatening temperatures, both realize while dying that regardless how powerful or wise one may be, everyone is destined for death.
For example, he and his crew open the bag of bad winds given to them from Aeolis despite the fact that they were told not to open them. This is showing arrogance because even though they are told not to open them, they do anyway to satisfy their curiosity. Additionally, this shows that they don’t care what they are told and only care about exploring the world around them as opposed to keeping their focus on their ultimate goal of reaching home in Ithaka. Additionally Odysseus listens to the Sirens majestic songs despite the advice given to him from his second visit to Circe. He is showing arrogance because he seems to think that he can resist the deceiving songs and doesn’t need to put wax in his ears.
Beowulf, a brave warrior, displays characteristics that influenced a positive attitude toward his people. Beowulf’s bravery and loyalty were two characteristics that influenced his people. Arrogance was another characteristic shown by Beowulf. However Beowulf’s arrogance showed a negative effect on the Danes. His arrogance was not as prevalent as his bravery or his loyalty but it still threw off his positive characteristics.
In “To Build a Fire”, the man ignores the advice that he has been given to survive in the Yukon environment: “The man had been very serious when he said that no man should travel alone in that country after 50 below zero. Well, here he was; he had had the accident; he was alone; and he had saved himself. Those old men were rather womanish, he thought” (London 72). The egotistical nature of the man is harmful to his own survival, which leads to dire consequences later on in the story. Ignoring the advice he had been given, the man is used to portray how people can become very haughty, too prideful for their own good. A similar message is conveyed in Crane’s “An Episode of War”, in which arrogance leads to malicious warfare in our own society. When the lieutenant is shot and injured, his pride hinders him from accepting assistance from the men he is commanding: “There were others who proffered assistance. One timidly presented his shoulder and asked the lieutenant if he cared to lean upon it, but the latter waved him away mournfully. He wore the look of one who knows he is the victim of a terrible disease and understands his helplessness”(---). Injured and in need of help, the lieutenant warrants away assistance from his subordinates, as it would be modest to do so. His arrogance prevents his wound from receiving immediate and proper attention from those who rank below him, with the lieutenant only accepting help from other officers on the battlefield. Both London and Crane display similar examples of how human egotism and close-mindedness can lead to harmful effects, especially when people choose to ignore nature’s power. This naturalist style is incorporated in their perspectives, and helps shape some of the many ideas and themes that the reader can pick out from both author’s
"Arrogance is the camouflage of insecurity". For an intelligent, well-known, young man like Chris McCandless, arrogance acted as a poison for him in the movie Into the Wild. How could he not be arrogant, the man had everything, he went to Harvard, had caring parents, a loving sister, and a car. He decided to throw that all away for some journey to Alaska. Why Alaska? He had no business in Alaska, he was ignorant and self centered. He passed up so many opportunities, and so many signs to let him no this wasn't a good idea. From the Hippie Parents, to the Old Man who wanted to adopt him, Chris ignored all signs. He wanted what he wanted and didn't let anyone tell him otherwise. If someone offers help it is only because you have touched their
"They then briefly exchanged some addresses and admonition. As for the reflections of the men, there was a great deal of rage in them. Perchance they might be formulated thus: "If I am going to drowned – if I am going to be drowned – if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come this far and contemplate sand and trees? Was I brought here merely to have my nose dragged away as I was about to nibble the sacred cheese of life? It is preposterous. If this old ninny-woman, Fate, cannot do better than this, she should be deprived of the management of men's fortunes. She is an old hen who knows not her intention. If she has decided to drown me, why did she not do it in the beginning and save me all this trouble. The whole affair is absurd...But, no, she cannot mean to drown me. She dares not drown me. She cannot drown me. Not after all this work.: Afterward the man might have had an impulse to shake his fist at the clouds, "Just you drown me, now, and then hear what I call you!" (Crane 7)
Many qualities can lead to one’s self-destruction, arrogance being a one of them. However, the difference between passion and arrogance can sometimes be misunderstood, and that can be detrimental in both a business and cultural perspective. A prime example is of Obi’s arrogance towards the locals about his beloved school in Chinua Achebe’s story “Dead Men’s Path.” Obi’s intentions to make the school successful in any way possible are wonderful; however, no matter the intentions, the actions are what shine through and make the most impact.
may also be symbolized through the intense beating of the old man’s heart. The narrator says, “It was the beating of
After further and cumulative study of the story, one may come to the conclusion that the man in the story has totally influenced reality both in his refusal to allow perceptions persuade him from his mission as he set out to it and also in his utter confidence in his own perceptions of his unique and higher judgment maintaining an overly optimistic outset in regards to his own abilities. One particularly dire incident began, “The man was shocked. It was as though he had just heard his own sentence of death” (London 130). One can see by the word “shocked” that he clearly assumed nothing would go wrong, until it actually is done already.
Thoughts of drowning run rampant in every man’s mind on that boat. At dawn, the men decided that their only chance is to row toward the distant shore again and swim when the boat finally capsizes.
The narrator negated the advice given to him that, "no man should travel alone in the Yukon when the temperature is sixty degrees below zero." He failed to heed to the advice because he thought of how he had saved himself from the accident, and had built the fire alone. This was pride ruling him not knowing that, he was risking his life. His arrogance made him believe that he can make it all alone, and alive. The main character’s poor decisions led to his death. He was not compatible with the cold weather, and thus could not make it alone as his pride, and arrogance made him believe. His arrogance caused his death, because he imagined that he had the ability to travel alone in the harsh cold weather, and ignored the advice given to him. This instance of the narrator dying, because he thought
One of the most prominent facets of the man’s personality is his overwhelming arrogance. The man is a newcomer to the Yukon territory or “chechaquo”, and is inexperienced in the customs of the land. The man believes that he will be unaffected by the harsh conditions and does not seem to grasp the grave reality of the situation. This characteristic is displayed early in the story, when the man rebuffs the old timer’s warning advice and later mocks the old man and his caution of the danger of traveling in the freezing temperatures, especially without a partner. “Those old-timers are rather womanish, some of them, he thought” (1210). Despite the likelihood that the old-timer has spent his lifetime in the area, the man considers his advice to be weak and believes, arrogantly, that he is superior in his masculinity and abilities. Eventually, the man realizes that he should have listened to the words of the old man in Sulphur Creek. Further, the man’s arrogance is displayed again when he ignores the warning signs that the environment is not suitable for such a long solo trek. Despite the incredible cold, the man fails to comprehend just how miniscule he is compared to nature. “…the absence of sun from the sky, the tremendous cold, and the strangeness and weirdness of it all made no impression on the man” (1205). It is this arrogance that limits the man’s ability to grasp how insignificant his life is compared to the great power of