To Build a Fire

What point of view is the excerpt of To Build a Fire?

• First person point of view

• Second person point of view

• Third person point of view

Which two sentences from the text best support the inference that the man is cautious and alert?

• “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 places back along the trail.”

• “He knew that the coldest snaps never froze these springs, and he knew likewise their danger.”

• “As he walked along he rubbed his cheek-bones and nose with the back of his mittened hand.”

• “He was sure to frost his cheeks; he knew that, and experienced a pang of regret that he had not devised a nose-strap of the sort Bud wore in cold snaps.”

• “Also, he noted that the stinging which had first come to his toes when he sat down was already passing away.”

Which sentence from the text best supports the idea that dangers are often disguised by seemingly harmless elements?

• "But rub as he would, the instant he stopped his cheekbones went numb, and the following instant the end of his nose went numb.”

• “Sometimes a skin of ice half an inch thick covered them, and in turn was covered by the snow.”

• “Once again, however, he had a close call; and once, suspecting danger, he compelled the dog to go on in front.”

• “He struck the fingers repeatedly and returned them to the mitten, baring the other hand for the purpose of eating.”

Who is the antagonist in To Build a Fire?

• nature

• the man

• the old-timer

• the dog

At one point in the story, the Man, desperate for warmth, tries to capture the dog to stay warm. Why is he unable to do this?

• The dog is too quick

• The Man can't stand up

• The Man's fingers and hands are too frostbitten

• The Man is hallucinating-the dog has already left him

The main conflict in this story is one between

• human and nature.

• human and dog.

• warmth and cold.

• caution and foolhardiness.

Which sentence best foreshadows the outcome of the story?

• “A foot of snow had fallen since the last sled had passed over, and he was glad he was without a sled, traveling light.”

• “He was making four miles an hour, and he calculated that he would arrive at the forks at half past twelve.”

• “The old-timer had been very serious in laying down the law that no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below.”

• “Well, here he was; he had had the accident; he was alone; and he had saved himself.”

Which statement expresses a theme of this story?

• People should not travel during the winter.

• Those who are prepared will always survive the winter.

• Any careless behavior can result in disaster.

What is the primary theme of 'To Build a Fire'?

• A) Survival against nature

• B) The importance of companionship

• C) The power of love

• D) The inevitability of death

Which literary device is predominantly used in 'To Build a Fire' to highlight the man's struggle?

• A) Metaphor

• B) Irony

• C) Foreshadowing

• D) Simile