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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is contained in the biscuits that the protagonist carries with him for lunch?
(a) Salmonberries
(b) Salmon
(c) Blueberries
(d) Bacon

2. The protagonist is bound for an old claim on the left fork of what in To Build a Fire?
(a) Alberts Creek
(b) Johnson Creek
(c) Indian Creek
(d) Henderson Creek

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?
(a) Lay in the sun
(b) Curl up behind a tree
(c) Burrow in the snow
(d) Hide behind a windbreak

4. After departing from his lunch break, the protagonist sees no signs of springs for how long?
(a) 10 minutes
(b) 1 hours
(c) 30 minutes
(d) 3 hours

5. After departing from eating his lunch, the protagonist travels along which body of water?
(a) Henderson Creek
(b) Boulder Creek
(c) Tenaya Creek
(d) Sulphur Creek

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the protagonist do in order to regain feeling in his feet in Part III?

2. Which of the following is a central theme in To Build a Fire?

3. The Yukon lay hidden under how many feet of ice, according to the narrator in Part I?

4. What refers to related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest?

5. How many inches of snow cover the furrow of the last runners on the old sled-trail in Part II?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. At what time does the story open?Who is present in the opening paragraphs of the story?

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

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

5. What is the point of view of the narrative in To Build a Fire?

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

7. What is the setting of To Build a Fire?What clues indicate this setting?

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

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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