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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 V means skillful or artful management?

2. The protagonist’s socks are described as being like what “halfway to the knees” in Part IV?

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

4. What simile occurs to the protagonist regarding his behavior in panicking in Part VI?

5. When the protagonist’s second fire fails, he decides to attempt to do what with the dog?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the protagonist regain the feeling of his fingers in Part V?What happens when he goes to light a match?

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

3. How does the protagonist go about starting his second fire in Part V? What obstacles does he face in the process?

4. How is the protagonist able to separate the matches in Part V? How does he attempt to light a match once he does?

5. How does the dog recognize the protagonist is dead in Part VI? What does the dog do?

6. Is the protagonist aware of the danger he is in after falling through the ice? What is the danger?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the imagery that the author uses in depicting the setting of To Build A Fire. Consider lines such as: “the spittle crackled…in the air.” How does this imagery develop the tone and mood of the story? What colors does the author focus on? Why are these significant?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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