To Build a Fire

What does the man's final realization about the old-timer’s advice indicate?

• He understands the value of experience

• He dismisses the advice once more

• He becomes hopeful

• He remains indifferent

How does the man's death reinforce the story’s message about human vs. nature?

• It highlights human vulnerability against nature

• It shows human triumph over nature

• It suggests that nature is forgiving

• It implies that intelligence beats nature

What is one possible theme of the short story?

• Always think about the consequences before you act.

• True love conquers all.

• The friendship bond between a man and his dog can't be broken.

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

Which inference about the man is best supported by the events in the text?

• The man is trying to meet up with others where he will be safe.

• The man is involved in some kind of race across the wild forestland.

• The man is out on a hike enjoying the elements of nature around him.

• The man is searching for a missing person whom he needs to find soon.

Which sentence from the excerpt supports “the man trying to meet up with others where he will be safe”?

• “Yet the sun was too far south on its winter journey to clear the horizon.”

• “He was pleased at the speed he had made.”

• “If he kept it up, he would certainly be with the boys by six.”

• /“He reflected awhile, rubbing his nose and cheeks, then skirted to the left, stepping gingerly and testing the footing of each step.”

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 theme that “Any careless behavior can result in disaster”?

• "Once in a while the though reiterated itself that it was very cold and that he had never experienced such cold."

• "He stood and studied the creek-bed and its banks, and decided that the flow of water came from the right."

• "The bulge of the earth intervened between it and Henderson Creek, where the man walked under a clear sky at noon and cast no shadow."

• "He chuckled at his foolishness, and as he chuckled he noted the numbness creeping into the exposed fingers."

What is the primary conflict in 'To Build a Fire'?

• Man vs. Nature

• Man vs. Man

• Man vs. Society

• Man vs. Self