View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. At 12:00 p.m., the sun is at its brightest but it is too far in what direction to clear the horizon?
(a) West
(b) North
(c) South
(d) East

2. The protagonist is described in Part I as being “quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in” what?
(a) The beauty
(b) The actions
(c) The lessons
(d) The significances

3. What type of dog travels with the protagonist?
(a) Burmese Mountain Dog
(b) Newfoundland
(c) German Shepherd
(d) Husky

4. The narrator states in Part I that the protagonist is used to the lack of what?
(a) Sun
(b) Stars
(c) Warmth
(d) Birds

5. The day is described as having broken exceedingly how in the opening of To Build a Fire?
(a) Misty and wet
(b) Cold and gray
(c) Cloudy and miserable
(d) Sunny and warm

Short Answer Questions

1. When the protagonist reaches the top of the steep bank on the little-traveled trail in Part I, he stops to catch his breath and excuses the action by doing what?

2. What is the principle form of conflict faced by the protagonist in To Build a Fire?

3. What is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different?

4. What color are the protagonist’s beard and moustache?

5. When the protagonist reaches Henderson Creek in Part II, he knows he is how far from the forks?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the dog do after falling through the ice in Part II? How does the protagonist help?

2. How is symbolism tied to the character of the protagonist in To Build a Fire?

3. How is the relationship between the protagonist and the dog significant to the plot of the story?

4. How does the author use symbolism to illustrate “instinct” versus “reason” in the narrative?

5. How does the narrator describe the setting at noon in To Build a Fire? What is the protagonist’s state of mind at this time?

6. Where does the protagonist decide to eat lunch in the narrative? Why?

7. What symbolism is tied to the character of the dog in the story?

8. What are the most significant elements of the setting of To Build a Fire?

9. How does the narrator describe the protagonist’s experience of the cold in Part III?

10. What is symbolized by the lack of a shadow cast by the protagonist in To Build a Fire?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 847 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample