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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 drug does the protagonist compare to the onset of death in Part VI?
(a) Psychedelic
(b) Barbiturate
(c) Anesthetic
(d) Narcotic

2. The man is described as speaking in what way to the dog in Part V, meaning leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal?
(a) Pleadingly
(b) Angrily
(c) Peremptorily
(d) Lovingly

3. What does the protagonist drop in the snow as he attempts to build his second fire in Part V?
(a) The matches
(b) His watch
(c) The birch bark
(d) His knife

4. The protagonist thinks to himself in Part IV, “Any man who was a man could” do what?
(a) Survive a storm
(b) Build a fire
(c) Travel alone
(d) Mine gold

5. When did a man from Sulphur Creek tell the protagonist about the dangers of being wet in the cold?
(a) Last fall
(b) Last summer
(c) That month
(d) Last spring

Short Answer Questions

1. To Build a Fireis considered to be a reflection of Jack London’s own experiences where?

2. Mercury was the son of what god in Roman mythology?

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

4. How does the protagonist become aware that his hand is on fire in Part V?

5. Which word from Part V refers to any of the main branches of a tree?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does the protagonist’s emotional state evolve as he works on building his second fire in Part V?

3. How are the protagonist’s socks and shoes described as he tries to remove them in Part IV by the fire?

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

5. How does the protagonist eventually re-gather the matches in Part V?

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

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

8. What does the protagonist envision of his family in Part VI? How does he envision the old-timer?

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

10. How does the theme of “survival” apply to Part IV of To Build a Fire?

(see the answer keys)

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