to build a fire How does London use the relationship of the man and the dog to explore the conflict between nature and humanity?

Jack London's "To Build A Fire" tells the tragic tale of our unnamed protagonist who had to go through a heavy snowfall to get to his friends' camp. And along the way, he had to fight against the natural forces that hamper his progress, in the end losing his life, but also partly due to his ignorance.

The dog accompanying the man symbolizes the natural instinct that understands the forces of nature while the man, thinking of himself as the higher rational being, kept on the journey. The conflict between man and nature, though prominent in the text, can also be said to exist between the man and the dog. The dog's instincts knew it is best to stay and not travel but the man thinks that he can overcome nature as long as he "keeps his head". This relationship of the man and dog represents a conflict akin to that of man versus nature. The desire of human to try to control even forces of nature against the instinct nature of the dog are in direct conflict, though the dog knows he has to obey the man.