The main purpose was to justify the Indian Removal Act.
The central conflict and its resolution in "To Build a Fire" is:
c. The man is in conflict with the extreme weather; the conflict ends when the man freezes to death.
Even though the man had conflicts with other characters in the short story, their conflicts arise from the central conflict of man needing to learn how to build a fire in order to keep warm amidst the extremely cold weather.
I think it was William. Hope this helps. :)
Billy Ansel is the only eyewitness to the crash. He pulls over, calls for emergency help and immediately begins pulling children from the icy water. Even after it is confirmed his own children are dead, Billy continues in the recovery efforts, not wanting to go home and face his tragic reality. Billy is no stranger to untimely death, as he lost his wife to cancer four years earlier and is a veteran of the Vietnam War. The death of his children, however, drives him into alcoholism and isolation. His three-year affair with the married Risa Walker ends when the two feel awkward around each other following the deaths of the children. You can also get assisted with it if you turn for the help to the best site. Go to Primewritings if you are interested in the unplagiarized text.