To Build a Fire

For most of the story, the man is disadvantaged by his lack of imaginative thinking. Early in the narrative, it is noted that “the trouble with him was that he was without imagination” (2). While he understands that he is traveling across an extremely cold and desolate landscape, he does not imagine the possible consequences that could result from this endeavor. In the early stages of his hike, he only imagines his arrival in camp in time for dinner. Soon, however, he finds himself with wet feet and struggling to build a fire. If he’d been a more imaginative thinker, he might have better planned for such a situation by hiking with a human companion. In this way, his lack of imagination can be connected to his death.

Later in the story, as he approaches death, there is irony in his suddenly flourishing imagination. As he runs along without feeling in his feet, he thinks about how he “had once seen a winged Mercury, and he wondered if Mercury felt as he felt when skimming over the earth” (15). Now that he is likely leaving the earth, he is contemplating its mysteries.