View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the narrator in Part V, there had been no what for weeks?

2. After falling through the ice, the protagonist believes this mishap will delay him for how long in reaching his destination?

3. How is death described in the protagonist’s thoughts and fears in Part V?

4. The popularized second version of To Build a Firewas published in what year?

5. The strings of the protagonist’s shoes are described as being like what in Part IV?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the protagonist go about building a fire after his fall in Part IV?

2. Why does the protagonist curse the dog in Part VI? What last effort does he make before accepting his fate?

3. How does the dog recognize the protagonist is dead in Part VI? What does the dog do?

4. What does the protagonist hope to do as a last resort in Part VI? What happens?

5. What conclusion does the protagonist come to when his fate appears sealed in Part VI?

6. How does the protagonist’s body respond when he begins to build a fire after falling through the ice in Part IV?

7. What is the first mental image that overtakes the protagonist as he dies in Part VI?

8. What does the dog do as the protagonist attempts to build his second fire in Part V? What obstacle does the protagonist face in getting the tinder going?

9. What obstacle does the protagonist face with gathering twigs for his fire in Part IV?

10. What does the protagonist do after his fire is extinguished in Part V? What danger does he face?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

According to the story, the "trouble" with the man is that he is "without imagination" and therefore never speculates about "man's place in the universe," his "frailty in general," or the fact that people are "able only to live within certain narrow limits of temperature." What is the result of this weakness in the story’s plot? Does the man reach any form of enlightenment through his travails?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the motifs of fire and ice in the story. How do these motifs relate to the story’s themes? What does fire represent to the protagonist? What does ice represent in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Define the literary term “character foil,” and discuss how this term applies to the dog in To Build A Fire. How does the dog compare with the man? In what ways does the author juxtapose the two characters? Is the dog an ally or enemy to the man?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 862 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample