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. What element of the story is omitted in the earlier version of To Build a Fire?

2. Which word from Part IV means the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors?

3. The protagonist’s mistake is having built his fire under what, in Part V?

4. The narrator states in Part V that the dog looks to the protagonist as what?

5. What does the protagonist intend on rubbing his feet with in Part IV?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the dog do as the protagonist fades from existence in Part VI?

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

3. How does the protagonist react when the fire is extinguished in Part V?

4. What is symbolized by the ending of the story and the dog’s actions?

5. What causes the fire to be extinguished in Part V of the story?

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

7. How does the narrator describe the protagonist’s journey when he departs from lunch in Part IV?

8. How does the protagonist respond when the fear of death begins to overtake him in Part VI?

9. What is the mental state of the protagonist as he builds his fire after falling through the ice in Part IV?

10. What idea comes to the protagonist after his second fire is a failure in Part V?

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

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 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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 841 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample