Answer and Explanation:
The excerpt we are analyzing here was taken from the short story "To Build a Fire" by author Jack London. Lines 30-36 offer us a direct description of the character, that is, a description given by the narrator.
What do you learn about the main character from the direct statements in these lines?
According to the narrator, the main character of the story is both unimaginative and ignorant. His understanding of things does not go far, and he does not know how to interpret information beyond its most basic meanings. The character does not perceive, for instance, that a temperature of 50 degrees below zero does not simply mean that it is really cold - it means death. Such a temperature is beyond what man can stand. The character also fails to imagine, to predict what is ahead in his journey. He looks around and does not see, from the clues given by nature, what will most likely happen.
How might this characterization foreshadow, or hint at, what is to come?
The characterization above hints at a tragic end for the character. If he is out in the forest, traveling through paths that are unknown to him, at a temperature that greatly diminishes his chances of survival, he will most likely die. Nature does not forgive those who do not fear and respect it.
