Monday, January 23, 2012
Max Nutter's Discussion Question: To Build A Fire
Based upon your reading of To Build A Fire, how do you think you would have reacted if you were placed into the traveler's shoes, moving across the Yukon in such extreme weather and attempting to build a fire to save your life after having fallen into freezing water? Do you think you could have mirrored the traveler's calm reaction to the situation? Why or why not?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
I don't think that I would have been able to stay calm because I would be out of my element. I like things to be in my comfort zone, I feel safe within the familiar. I think it would be easier for me to stay calm if I was with someone and not having to survive on my own.
- Emily Rosenstein
Jeffrey Seib- I don't think I could have done too much different unless I had packed differently. It is easy to play monday morning quarterback, but I would not have traveled alone, and I would have dressed warmer. That elder told him he should'nt travel alone if the temperature was below negative fifty degrees, and it was negative seventy five and he was still traveling alone. That's just asking for death traveling alone when it is that cold. I also think the man could dressed warmer by wearing more pairs of socks and gloves. His feet were constantly cold, but if he would have just dressed better, he might not have dropped the matches hence, he might have been able to make a fire. There is not too much I could have done different if I had been in his situation with the same instances.
If I was placed in the travelers shoes, I don’t think there would be even the slightest chance that I would have survived the extreme weather. It would certainly be nice to think that humans have adapted to their environment in a way that they can “defeat” it, but the opposite is such. I don’t know how to build a fire, so that would be eliminated my only chance for warmth. However, the greatest thing that the traveler possessed that I don’t have is the courage that he could survive the weather. I don’t think I could have reacted in the same calm manner that he did when he fell into the water, probably because I would be too upset about my slim odds of survival. I would have let panic take over my rational thinking. This story definitely made me rethink traveling anywhere with extreme weather- cold or hot.
-Katrina Hauser
If I had to build a fire to save my life from the freezing cold, I would be trying to be as careful as possible in making the fire but I would also be in a huge hurry. Kara N-I would probably mess up the fire just like the traveler. I don’t think that I would be calm at all during this process. I would need to have someone there helping me, otherwise I don’t think the fire would be made. I would be scared and thinking of all of the bad things that could happen and I’m sure I would be shaky and have problems making the fire.
I probably would remain calm. I am condfident that my survival skills are supple enough to sustain me for longer than the average person. Having the knowledge of an Eagle Scout also helps too. I probably would have kep walking if I couldn't build a fire. It is better to make progress rather than just fail after multiple attempts for no reason. I can maintain a calmness in emergency situations as well.
Based on the short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, I would be very scared if I was left in the forest such as how the traveler was. I would probably do anything I could do to find supplies to build a fire. I would also probably keep walking to find the friends that I was originally with. Compared to the travelers reaction I would be a lot more scared and would probably give up a lot sooner than the traveler did. Overall I would not have made it through the harsh weather.
Kristen Scego
Libby Pecher (oops didnt put my name the first time!)
think i would have stayed calm at first, but after awhile i would freak out. I would have been scared to death, being all alone and freezing with out any chance of surviving. Of course i dont think i would have put myself in that situation either. He made a bad decision by going out into the wilderness by himself. He should have listened to the warnings that he was given. I am not nearly as over confident as the narrator so i probably would have stayed with group.
The one at 8:29 is Marc St. Amour
Post a Comment