“But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.” This quote by Rachael Carson evokes the internal struggle of man in his desire to survive against the relentless onslaught of nature. “To Build a Fire” by Jack London expresses an existential crisis through the concept of Naturalism. To convey to readers that when man is at the mercy of nature, animalistic instinct triumphs over scientific technology, London juxtaposes the two types of knowledge and their evolution during the sub-zero excursion undertaken 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To begin, the setting of the story is vital to the meaning of the work because it is a static and implacable antagonist. The imagery details regarding the story's setting demonstrate that man and dog are subservient to nature, and therefore the characters must return to their known means of survival. In the exposition, the author introduces the setting by describing the man, who "... deviated from the main Yukon trail and climbed the high earthen bank, where a dark and little-traveled path led eastward through the thick woods of spruces" (London, 1). London expresses the extreme limit of the freezing climate by describing it syntactically as "...cold and grey, extremely cold and grey..." (1). Furthermore, the author personifies time in these passages: “He was losing his battle against the frost. It was creeping into her body from all sides. By placing emphasis on the freezing temperature of the surrounding nature, London makes the setting a catalyst for the theme of the triumphant knowledge of instinct. The characters are forced to survive using the strategies they are used to. Next, significant characterization shows how each character reacts to the setting, with victory reigning. The struggle between science and instinct becomes lucid, as man symbolizes humanity and the dog represents animal instincts. This is inferred, as none of the characters are given a name. As a technologically savvy human being, man relies on artificial means such as matches and thermal clothing, including “…gloves, earmuffs, warm moccasins, and thick socks” (1) against nature. Meanwhile, the dog “…merely obeyed the mysterious prompting that arose from the deep crystals of his being…” (3) biting the ice between his fingers and treasuring man for his gift of fire. Furthermore, this man's tragic human flaw is that he is arrogant and chooses not to listen to the advice of those who are wiser and more experienced. Meanwhile, the dog followed instinct, since "...all its ancestors knew and had inherited knowledge" (2). Upon the man's death in the epilogue, the characterization in the setting demonstrates that the dog's instinctive knowledge has been more successful than the man's artificial resources. Finally, the images in the story record realistic and recognizable deadly tendencies, so as to gain audience 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 portray a specific theme. London contrasts the characters' responses to the setting by evoking various senses, especially those of sight and hearing. For example, the author stimulates the sense of sight by describing the man as “…a man with a warm moustache, but his facial hair did not protect his high cheekbones and greedy nose that thrust aggressively into the freezing air” (2) .,.