Day5

Day 5 7-13-10

Read __To Build a Fire__ pages 566-576 Describe the conflicts the main character faced. (Man vs Man, Man vs Nature, Man vs himself) Relate the main character's struggles and how he perservered to your life. Describe struggles you have faced, the conflicts you faced and how you dealt with and overcame them.

Fernando Veliz

“//To Build a Fire//” Summary This story is mainly about a guy’s journey in the cold to another town and how he struggles with nature, himself and other beings. A man, also known as a //chechaquo// (this means newcomer in his town), and his husky, a dog that is the closest relative to the wild wolf, go on a journey to a town called Yukon (territory in the northwestern Canada, also Alaska, and a river). The reason of this journey is because he is supposed to meet his friends there at 6 o’clock. As his journey begins the days grow colder and colder,  The guy trying to survive in the cold is a conflict of Man vs. Nature. Man vs. Himself is another conflict, when he falls through the snow and into the water up to his shins. This made it really difficult for him because he had wet moccasins and it can cause him to have frostbite. The guy ends up stopping and builds a fire to dry his foot gear. While he is sitting by the fire trying to take of the moccasins, a pile of snow from the trees falls on top of the fire. The man realizes that with out fire he will freeze even though he can’t feel his finger or toes, he begins building another fire. The fire was on again but soon enough it died out. The man decides that the only way to stay warm at this point is by killing the dog and putting his hands inside it body. The guy tries to kill the dog but he wasn’t successful. The guy knew that no fire meant death, he tried running to keep the circulation in his body going but he couldn’t run anymore. He sat with his dog with no fire; the dog was confused seeing him sit down with out a fire. The dog whined but nothing startled the guy soon enough the dog scent the smell of death. The guy died in the freezing cold. //My Struggle// My struggle may not have to do with surviving till death but it did deal with my everyday life. My struggles started since I was in 2nd grade, for some reason my mind was not in the books anymore. I didn’t like to read but I knew how to, I didn’t like doing home-work but what kid did. I struggled all throughout elementary school, middle school and high school. I guess at that time I was doing things I wasn’t suppose to, which is why I got left back in 9th grade. But that didn’t stop me. Even though there were some people that didn’t believe I was going to make it, I still tried. I didn’t let anyone’s talk slow me down; instead it just made me realize that there is a point in doing well in school because it’s the ticket in doing well in life. Now writing as a senior I would recommend to those students out there that think not doing well in school, or skipping school, etc.., is a cool thing to do because its not all it does is mess you up and than you have to deal with it. I had luck on my side; teachers were helping me from left to right. I don’t know what they saw in me at that time because I didn’t even know what I saw in myself. But than I realized that if I try I can do it, that what I think the teachers saw in me they saw potential, they saw a kid that can actually make it if he is lead the right way. I thank all the teacher’s that tried helping me, trying to get me to move on. If it wasn’t for them I would probably be a drop out, or in jail, or maybe even dead with the road I was going in. They built me a new road and I plan to keep building that road to be successful in my life. THANKS A LOT!! __ I would like to give special thanks to Mr. Maurer, Mr. Larry Puccio, Mr. Booti, Mrs. Applewhite, Mr. Desire, and my beautiful friend Mrs. Messeri. I really appreciate what you guys have done for me. Thanks. I'll be back to visit.. __