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

Short Answer Questions

1. Where did Jack London’s family settle in 1886?

2. What does the narrator refer to the dog as in Part III?

3. Which word from Part III means anticipation of adversity or misfortune?

4. In what year did Jack London die?

5. What time is it in the beginning of To Build a Fire?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were Jack London’s experiences like during the Klondike Gold Rush?

2. What role does the old-timer play in the narrative?

3. What causes the protagonist to experience fear when he stops to eat lunch in Part III?

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

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

6. What danger does the protagonist encounter at Henderson Creek in Part II?

7. Why does the protagonist eat quickly when he stops for lunch in Part III?

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

9. How does the protagonist act in the face of the obstacles at Henderson Creek?

10. How is the advice of the old-timer perceived by the protagonist in To Build a Fire?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze the point of view of the narrative in To Build A Fire. What is the narrator’s relationship to the protagonist? What effect does this point of view have on the reader? How does it help to establish the tone of the piece?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the imagery that the author uses in depicting the setting of To Build A Fire. Consider lines such as: “the spittle crackled…in the air.” How does this imagery develop the tone and mood of the story? What colors does the author focus on? Why are these significant?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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