"To Build a Fire" centers on the travels of a man new to the Yukon and a native husky dog as they make their way through the thick snow and harsh, below-freezing weather to meet his friends at an old claim (London, 463) despite warnings from an old-timer that he should not risk the journey (467) and focuses on the naturalistic struggle between man and nature. Throughout the trek, the man encounters a few problems that he is unprepared for such as getting his feet wet (469) and having snow fall from the tree onto his fire (471). The dog seems to be able to handle each situation that arises while the man eventually collapses and faces his death and the realization that he is no match for nature (478). The man's arrogance, lack of instincts, and selfishness ultimately lead to his demise against the unrelenting forces of nature. The man is never given a name and is not physically described much at all; however, hints to his character are given in the story and his arrogance can be seen in a number of situations. None are as obvious as the way that he handles the advice given by the old-timer. The older man who knew the dangers of the Yukon strictly warns him that it was dangerous to travel alone in these conditions. Instead of heeding the advice of a more experienced native, the man laughs at the warnings and heads out anyway. At a later point in his journey he thinks back about the old man and refers to him as "womanish," stating that "any man that was a man could travel alone" (470). This arrogance costs the man dearly as this mindset does not account for the unpredictability of nature or its strength over man. To survive in the wild of the Yukon, instincts are important. The man seems to know this; however, he does not have the instincts himself. It appears the man realizes instincts are important when he forces the dog to go before him when trying to cross certain areas on the trip. After a few close calls the man made the dog c