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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 IV means situated at some distance away?

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

3. The protagonist recalls the tale of a man who was caught in a blizzard and killed what before climbing into the carcass in Part V?

4. The protagonist thinks to himself, “those old-timers were rather” what, in Part IV?

5. Which word from Part V means adequate for the purpose?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

6. What does fire symbolize in the story? What message does the author convey through this symbol?

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the protagonist’s experience of cold in the narrative. What effects does the cold have on the man? How does the cold affect the dog? What role does the cold have in the plot progression of the story?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the effects of hypothermia. What causes hypothermia? How is it treated? Where are the effects most often felt first? How do they progress? How are these effects illustrated in To Build A Fire?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the Klondike Gold Rush. When did the gold rush take place? How many people were involved? What environment did these people encounter? How is this period related in the story?

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