Nature and death belong to a special category of forces which man has been unable to tame. Ernest Hemingway's novella "The Old Man and the Sea" and Jack London's short story "To build a Fire" put both powers on display. Man tragically struggling against the elements is the key theme to both stories. In a struggle, or battle, true men will show honor in defeat and serenity in death. Death will inevitably come, and the comparison of death with life makes up a central concept in both stories. The idea of some type of peace and heaven comforts the characters as they suffer at the hands of nature is also available. From reading the stories most people assume that man is always pitted against nature, however these stories show man's place within nature. .
A tragedy is a serios drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force and having a sorrowful or disatrous conclusion that excites pity or terror. Both stories meet the qualification to be a tragedy. As stated in the definition, the reader can see that the protagonist will be defeated by the superior force, but the hero continues his/her mission. Often foreshadowing is readily apparent to the reader in tragedies. For example, when Santiago decides to sail farther out than usual, the reader should have a clue as to what could happen next. London's character decides to ignore the advice of the old man. The old-timer had instructed the man not to hike alone in "those parts". His advice was ignored and the ultimate sacrifice was paid. .
The superior force in both stories is nature. Santiago, the poor fisherman, is up against an enormous marlin, while London's character is faced with unimaginable climatic conditions. Although the outside forces are most obvious, the men's psyche may hold the key to their destiny. Santiago's determination prevails when battling the marlin. While the man in London's story surrendurs to nature and accepts defeat.