Jack London Knows Black Lives Matter

            Jack London’s short story “To Build A Fire” uses realism to show that black lives matter. The protagonist of the story’s arrogance and death are a reminder of the risk you take when you confront an entity larger than yourself, such as nature or racism in society. In order to properly confront something larger than yourself, you need help from others, and the strategy with the least risk.

            The Black Lives Matter movement is a perfect example of a group of people causing change. Theodore R. Johnson describes the movement best in his article, “Don’t Let ‘Black Lives Matter’ Become Another Ice Bucket Challenge.” (Here's the actual article) In order to battle racism in society and police brutality, Johnson writes that “With only the power of their message, strength of conviction, and social media, these young black leaders have innovated and pioneered a new form of grassroots movement, the likes of which our nation has never seen”(Johnson). This movement has not been made possible by any one person, but by the collective power of many. When the protagonist of “To Build A Fire” is close to freezing to death, he finally realizes that “Perhaps the old-timer on Sulphur Creek was right. If he had only had a trail-mate he, would have been in no danger now”(London). The protagonist takes an unnecessary risk in going on his journey to see his friends alone.
            The protagonist mentions throughout the story that he knows that he should have a traveling partner. Instead of having a trail-mate, he resolves, “Any man who is a man could travel alone”(London). He, like the Seattle Seahawks’ current offensive coordinator, makes the wrong decision at a crucial time. The Seahawks, after playing a hard fought game against the New England Patriots for the 49th Super Bowl Championship, lose the game for themselves. In Ben Shpigel’s article on the game, he writes: “Seattle advanced to the 1, but instead of handing the ball off to Lynch a second straight time, Wilson tried to sneak a pass to Ricardo Lockette. Butler jumped in front, and the Patriots’ sideline erupted”(Shpigel). The protagonist’s decision to go on his excursion alone is similar to the decision made by the Seattle Seahawks current offensive coordinator. Neither method that the two men used was hopeless, but the possibility of success with both decisions was close to nil. A travel-mate would have allowed the protagonist to do more at once, and using a run play with the strong and reliable Marshawn Lynch would have easily closed the distance of 1-yard.
            The fact that the fictional story “To Build A Fire” is relatable to articles that were written more than one-hundred years later proves not only that fictional stories hold some fact, but that all fictional stories are rooted in reality. The gamble of traveling alone in sub seventy degree weather is a mistake that any proud hiker could make. You can see the incentive of bragging to your friends and family about such a feat. Whether you're from Kansas or Seoul, human character traits and weaknesses are something that everyone can understand. This is the true binding between fact and fiction, as well as the true binding that people share with each other.