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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. The narrator claims that the “trouble with him” is that he is without what in Part I?

2. What does the protagonist do to help the dog after it falls through the ice in Part II?

3. What does the protagonist use to ignite his fire in Part III?

4. At 12:00 p.m., the sun is at its brightest but it is too far in what direction to clear the horizon?

5. Naturalism was a literary movement that emerged in what decade?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does the dog do after falling through the ice in Part II? How does the protagonist help?

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

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

5. What advice did the old-timer give to the protagonist?

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

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

8. Where is the protagonist traveling in the story? What supplies does he carry?

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

10. What stylistic elements characterize To Build a Fire?Give examples in your answer.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define character action, objective, and obstacle in literature, and analyze the actions and obstacles of the protagonist in Parts I and II. How does the protagonist act in the face of the obstacle of the springs? What is the protagonist’s objective at the beginning of the story? What obstacles stand in his way? How does he overcome each of these obstacles?

Essay Topic 2

Define and discuss literary conflict. What are the differences between internal, external, and relational conflict? What are examples of each in To Build A Fire? What type of conflict is the most prominent in the narrative? Why?

Essay Topic 3

In what ways does the protagonist in the story represent American individualism? What actions does the character take and how can these be seen to represent the American mindset of the 1880s? What do you think the author is saying about American values of his time?

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