Narrator and point of view

The short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London is conveyed through the voice of a third-person narrator who seems to be omniscient with regards not only to the man’s character, but also to the character of the dog.

This is indicated by the fact that the narrator clearly points out some of the man’s traits and thoughts and some of the dog’s ‘thoughts’: “The trouble with him was that he was without imagination. He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances.”; “The animal was depressed by the tremendous cold. It knew that it was no time for traveling. Its instinct told it a truer tale…”

Although the narrator is absent from the action in the story, we can still feel his presence as some passages seem to represent his own thoughts on the characters and the action:

It did not lead him to medit...