John Swenson
English 11
1st Hour
Comparison/Contrast Essay

In this essay of comparison and contrast there will be comparisons and contrasts- or in other words similarities and differences- in Jack London’s “To Build A Fire” and Richard Connell’s, “The Most Dangerous Game”. The comparisons will be constructed of the settings, characters, and conflict. First topic to be compared is conflict. The two stories share two conflicts, a struggle for survival. In Jack London’s “To Build A Fire” the main character, not named, thinks in his head, “Without doubt he would lose some fingers and toes and some of his face…” (London 703). In the same manner, the main character, named Rainsford, kills a dog and the “bad guy” says to him “… I’ll see what you can do against my whole pack” (Connell 28). However, the two stories differ in what they struggle against. In “To Build A Fire” the conflict is person versus nature. For example the guy builds a fire and from the spruce tree falls some snow and puts out the fire; to quote “He should not have built the fire under the spruce tree” (London 700). Meanwhile, in “The Most Dangerous Game” the conflict is person versus person which is Rainsford being hunted down by General Zaroff-the “bad guy”- in the middle of a baron island. To quote from General Zaroff “Your strength and stamina against mine” (Connell 24). Secondly, literary item number two is setting. In both stories the setting is set in isolated places. Like in “To Build A Fire” its set in the Yukon in the middle of winter. To validate that “The Yukon lay a mile wide and hidden under three feet of ice” (London 694). Also in “The Most Dangerous Game” the setting is in the Caribbean on an island. To go with that from the story “… even you can’t see four miles or so through a moonless Caribbean night” (Connell 14). Also in contrast with the stories is temperature. In “To Build A Fire” it is set in the middle of winter. To support that “It was seventy-five below zero” (London 696). In contrast with that “An unbroken front of snarled and ragged jungle fringed the shore” (Connell 16). That example was taken from “The Most Dangerous Game” where the setting is very tropical and warm. Finally, literary item number three is characters. The two share the gender of the main characters. In “To Build A Fire” the main character goes into shock. For example “The man was shocked” (London 700). Similarly in “The Most Dangerous Game” Rainsford, the main character, goes to sleep. To support that “He had never slept…” (Connell 30). Contrary, however, the two differ in fates. In “To Build A Fire” the man dies from freezing. For example “… it crept closer to the man and caught the scent of death” (London 704). However, in “The Most Dangerous Game” Rainsford survives by killing General Zaroff. This is seen in the quote “He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided” (Connell 30). This shows that he killed General Zaroff. In conclusion, the two stories both have similarities and differences. The two show in the above paragraphs that the two share; the gender of the character, the isolated places, and the struggle to survive. However, they both differ in; temperature, conflict, and in their fates.