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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. Which word from Part III refers to pedigree, genealogy or stock?

2. Jack London's mother was the fifth and youngest child of what Pennsylvania Canal builder?

3. The dog’s instincts tell him that walking in this cold is not good and that it is the time to do what, in Part III?

4. The narrator states in Part III that “there was no keen” what “between the dog and the man”?

5. Where is the old-timer from that the protagonist recalls in Part III?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How is the protagonist described by the narrator in Part I?

4. What does the protagonist do after eating his lunch in Part III? How does the dog respond?

5. How is the dog described in To Build a Fire?What is his relationship to the protagonist?

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

7. 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?

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

9. What does the protagonist do to warm up as he eats his lunch in Part III?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Discuss the character of the old-timer in the story. Where is the old-timer from? What do you think he represents in the narrative? How does the protagonist feel about this character? How do his feelings evolve through the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the setting of To Build A Fire.What are the outstanding elements of the setting? How does the setting play a part in the plot of the narrative? What clues in the text reveal the setting?

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