Jack London: "To Build a Fire" - Read

Question 1

note

Answer 1

• London’s story heavily emphasizes the Naturalist theme of the power of nature over man, no matter how much he tries to control it
• impact of environment and instincts

Question 2

what was the pang of regret that the man experience in paragraph 10 of “to build a fire”?

Answer 2

he regretted that he had not devised a nose-strap to protect his nose and cheeks from frostbite

Question 3

in paragraph 26 of jack london’s “to build a fire,” the man is envious of the dog, who is warm and secure

Answer 3

in his natural covering

Question 4

according to paragraph 16 of jack london’s “to build a fire,” what was the relationship between the dog and the man

Answer 4

the dog was the “toil-slave” of the man

Question 5

what figure of speech does london use in the passage below from paragraph 10 of “to build a fire”?
once, coming around a bend, he shied abruptly, like a startled horse, curved away from the place where he had been walking, and retreated several paces back along the trail

Answer 5

simile

Question 6

in paragraph 11 of jack london’s “to build a fire,” why was the man so keenly observant of where he placed his feet

Answer 6

he didn’t want to step on thin ice that might be covering a spring

Question 7

what figure of speech does london use in the passage below from paragraph 22 of “to build a fire”?
…the thick German socks were like sheaths of iron half-way to the knees; and the moccasin strings were like rods of steel all twisted and knitted as by some conflagration

Answer 7

simile

Question 8

why had the man in london’s story “to build a fire” taken a roundabout way to get to the claim on the left fork of Henderson Creek

Answer 8

he wanted to check out the possibility of getting logs from the islands in the Yukon

Question 9

according to paragraphs 14-16 of “to build a fire” what frightened the man more than the tingling numbness in his fingers and toes

Answer 9

he was frightened by no feeling in his fingers and toes