In this excerpt from Jack London's short story "To Build a Fire," which two sentences best show that the protagonist could be se
en as prideful in his abilities rather than ignorant of his surroundings? But he was safe. Toes and nose and cheeks would be only touched by the frost, for the fire was beginning to burn with strength.[ He was feeding it with twigs the size of his finger.] In another minute he would be able to feed it with branches the size of his wrist, and then he could remove his wet foot-gear, and, while it dried, he could keep his naked feet warm by the fire, rubbing them at first, of course, with snow. The fire was a success. He was safe. He remembered the advice of the old-timer on Sulphur Creek, and smiled. The old-timer had been very serious in laying down the law that no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below. Well, here he was; he had had the accident; he was alone; and he had saved himself. [Those old-timers were rather womanish, some of them, he thought.] All a man had to do was to keep his head, and he was all right.[ Any man who was a man could travel alone.] But it was surprising, the rapidity with which his cheeks and nose were freezing. And he had not thought his fingers could go lifeless in so short a time.[ Lifeless they were, for he could scarcely make them move together to grip a twig, and they seemed remote from his body and from him.]
[Those old-timers were rather womanish, some of them, he thought.]
[ Any man who was a man could travel alone.]
Explanation:
That he was able to create and keep himself warm and alive in an environment that according to old-timers, no man could confront is evident in these sentences. He is a snob and thinks everyone else is a fool. His face and hands freeze so quickly that he can hardly move them. He feels he has beaten them and the weather.
