Blog #6: Colton Quick

1. “To Build a Fire” – Jack London uses setting to show fear, struggle, and ignorance to convey that experience does not beget unpredicted events; you cannot be prepared for everything.

2. Upon reading “Love in L.A.” I was able to notice different dramatic elements at work. The exposition starts off right at the beginning of the story, as Jake is introduced sitting in traffic. At this point his background information starts to come out and it can be inferred that he is not very well off as he does not have a steady job, it can also be figured that he is a local in L.A. as he seems used to being in the traffic. The rising action happens when, “Jake was thinking about this freedom of his so much that when he glimpsed its green light he just went ahead.” The line just referenced from the story creates a sense that something important, or surprising is about to happen in the story. The story then leads into the climax, where his car makes what “seemed like only a harmless smack” into the car in front of him. The story then goes into a reversal as he walks up to the driver of the car and begins to flirt with her. The falling action then proceeds as he tries to get the lady he hit, Mariana, to give him her number. At this point he does not even seem to care about the damage of the car. The story finally concludes with Jake achieving his goal of getting Mariana’s number, he is not worried that he may have to pay for the damage because the plates on his car belong to a different vehicle and he gave her the wrong information. At this conclusion the character is seen as getting what he wanted, but the audience is left wondering as to what will happen next, will they go out on a date, will Jake have to pay for the damage, will they see each other again?