Klondike: A Man's Struggle Against Nature

Based on the research conducted by the Forensic Anthropologist Chatters on the skeletal remains of the Kennewick man, he seems to be a European migrant. The man definitely belonged to the western hemisphere, as definitive characteristics indicate so. Furthermore, he could belong either to the east or to the west of the Atlantic, since forensic studies indicate that his diet was strongly composed of Anadromous fish – fish born in the sea and lives in fresh water, before returning to the sea to spawn. As the video “The first Americans-Part 1” mentions the European roots that the Kennewick man had, I would agree with the claims of the forensic anthropologist that the man had a European descent. The video also mentioned that Native Americans themselves

The juxtaposition of resolve and despondence is depicted in the image of Okimasis being “so tired, his dogs beyond tired, so tired they would have collapsed if he were to relent.” Before this, the feeling of hopelessness is emphasized by the repetition of the word “matter” because it indicates his feeling of certainty that he was going to lose, influencing the reader to also mirror his feeling of certainty. But the use of the word “mush” portrays a slang word that he has often used before, adding familiarity to the situation and consequently optimism. Okimasis remembers what happened in the race in intrinsic detail like “low-treed tundra” , “ice covered lakes” and “a hundred and fifty miles of freezing tundra” which highlights the reasons for his tiredness and the numb feeling that comes from it. But because of this tiredness he appreciates more the fact that “the finish line is a mere yards ahead”. The vision of the dogs made to like “insubstantial wisps of air” shows how the huskies are no longer like a separate entity but a part of the desolate tundra, which is why they would collapse if Okimasis was to give up. These conflicting emotions which have come to no resolution yet add more

Francois, along with Perrault, are Bucks first owners in the Klondike who were very fair and valued the dogs. Based on the book, Francois believes the dogs need to be treated fairly and their welfare is essential to the success of the trip. In support of this statement Jack London writes, “Francois was stern, demanding instant obedience, and by virtue of his whip receiving instant obedience;”. This helps the reader understand Francois only whipped or used physical pain to motivate the

Brian Robinson from “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen, is a thirteen-year old boy from New York City. This novel essentially deals with the matter of man and nature alongside, of self-cognizant. On his way to visit his father, his plane crashes leaving him alone in the middle of the Canadian wilderness. The story mainly progresses through Brian's experiences existing alone in the wilderness and the struggle to survive with nothing but a hatchet his mother gave him as a gift. Thus, he is primarily the only paramount character. Throughout his survival in the woods, Brian develops notion of how things work for survival and alters his thoughts and action based on the environment he is positioned. The character demonstrates several psychological stages he undergoes to survive based on his prior knowledge and contemporary challenges.

Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway portrays the individualized experiences of a dog sledder named Abraham Okimasis. Throughout the course of this passage Okimasis is running a race that he is determined to win for the sake of his marriage. Once the end of the race draws near however, we see him become desperate and hopeless when he realizes that he is not going to win. These emotion and ultimately the experience in general are heavily expressed through specific literary devices: diction, metaphor, and repetition.

The selection “After I was Thrown in the River and Before I Drowned” gives readers a glimpse of the life -and the afterlife- of a dog told in his own eyes. By using a canine narrator, Dave Eggers is able to give the audience: a reason to connect with the story, an unexpected perspective of normalcy that defamiliarizes human routine, and the ability to envision a story that would be harder to portray with a human-centric cast.

The man represents the fraction of society that doesn't respect nature. He doesn't understand the power of nature because he is oblivious to it. On the other hand the dog was "told a truer tale than that was told to the man by the man's judgement." The man "did not know cold. Possibly all the generations of his ancestry had been ignorant of cold, of real cold." "The was no keen intimacy between the dog and the man." The man and the dog are together because the man needs the dog, and the dog has no choice. They have no emotional connection between them because the dog is used as a slave. In one part of the story the man uses the dog to test the trail and make sure that it is safe. The dog has more inherent knowledge about the area, all of his "ancestry knew" about the cold and the dangers of extreme cold. He also had a warm "natural covering" to keep him safe from the weather. The man was not used to the cold. He "was without imagination. He was quick and alert to the things of life, but only the things, and not the significances." He also was stubborn for his neglect to take advice.

In the short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, the protagonist foremost values his pride, which leads to his demise. The story starts off with the protagonist taking a detour in the Yukon so that he could survey the trees in the area (he was doing this so that he could send logs down the river to the gold prospecting camp, where he would sell the wood to the prospectors for money). But, the protagonist’s pride blinds him from what could have and should have done to ensure his survival in the Yukon. About halfway through his journey, he accidentally breaks through the ice on the spring and his foot falls into the water. At the temperatures mentioned in the story (seventy below zero), if he did not dry himself properly, it could lead to serious frostbite and/or death. So, he was forced to build a fire, and the “fire was a success. He was safe. He remembered the advice of the old timer on Sulphur Creek, and smiled. The old-timer had been very serious in laying down that no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below. Well, here he was; he had had an accident: he was alone; and he had saved himself. Those old-timers were rather womanish” (London 8). The man keeps feeding the fire and gets ready to take his (frozen and potentially dangerous) footwear off, and feels content and a sense of satisfaction of disproving the old-timers. But, just as it seemed to be that the fire was stable and strong, snow that was on the branches of the spruce tree he was under fell

There is never a quote or story that embodies a person completely. However, when it comes to Chris McCandless, John Haines’ quote comes close to capturing his story. Haines writes how nature was always apart of him and the more he learned about it the more he yearned for the outdoors. He wrote about wanting to take a path into the unknown and not look back. Haines ended his passage with, “Let the rest of mankind find me if it could.” One cannot help but think about Chris McCandless when reading Haines’ words. Chris too, had a longing for adventure since adolescence, his views on the world got more extreme the more he learned, and he never looked back even when people were looking for him.

During his journey, the man gets his feet wet as he falls through the ice into the water of a hot spring. Because of the severity of the cold, the man’s life depends upon his ability to adapt to his surroundings. After one, half-successful fire-starting endeavor, and several other pitiful attempts, the hopelessness of the man’s lone struggle

Another way it thinks that the author has set-up a man and an animal as competitors is to show how similar things a human would do like an animal if put in such a situation such as high winds, predators, and a constant danger of frostbite, a human would only care about three things, food, shelter and water like an animal. With the only source of food, a human would resort to savage ways so similar to the ways of a polar bear as the story states, “without an instant 's hesitation the man hurled his spear” (p. 164) and when “with a growl of rage, the bear tore it loose and charged upon the man” (p. 164). This shows that when a human is exposed to this type of environment, they would kill for food without

Every individual faces obstacles that are necessary to overcome, whether it be for equity, justice or honesty. Throughout The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, the main character, Christopher tells his story as a socially awkward teenage boy who has a supposedly deceased mother and lives with his father. Being an adolescent, Christopher faces obstacles throughout the novel that he has to overcome in order to grow. The only thing is, Christopher is not like everyone else. While discovering the truth and embarking on certain adventures, Christopher is in search of a form of justice that he truly deserves.

Lately, Marley showed unexpected guarding characteristics when John rushed to help some girl who was stabbed near his house. Somehow the dog itself understood the danger of the situation and transformed into a “completely different dog”. Because of crimes around the neighborhood, John worried for the safety of his growing son Patrick and his pregnant wife. They started to appreciate the big dog being in the house. Even though Marley was harmless, his presence made them feel secure.

First, I am going to analyze the dog’s relationship with the man. the man is on his way to meet the boys with his only companion, a wolf dog which represents the bond we have with nature. The dog relies on the man to provide warmth by fire and the man needs the dog for his instincts. I believe the that since it is a wolf dog it has both traits as a wild wolf and a domesticated dog. It is like a gateway between humanity and nature which allows us to be a part of it. The dog never left the man’s side because he needed him. The man however, the attempted to kill the dog to spare his life. The man also sent the dog across the lake knowing that the dog’s instincts could get him across. The man heavily relied on the dog for his survival and was willing to sacrifice him for the man’s

Do you think you could survive the Yukon trail, a mile wide and three feet of ice, and just as many feet of snow, in weather colder than fifty below? The story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, is about a man who tried to take the Yukon trail and get to his friends with just a dog to guide him. He was told that no one has ever made the journey alone, yet he chose to take on the journey. Through the story the man faces many conflicts not only through himself in having too much pride, but also with the physical ones such as the cold which lead to his death. The main theme in the book is the man’s perseverance to try and survive. The man on the Yukon Trail has to show perseverance through the story even with the harsh weather and signs of bad events coming upon him. In his story “To Build a Fire,” Jack London discusses the theme of perseverance through two literary elements, conflict and foreshadowing.