“To Build a Fire” Reading Questions Directions: Type your answer to each question on this document. You will then upload your document to the wiki. 1. Why do you think the protagonist is referred to as “the man” as opposed to being given a name? 2. What is the weather like at day break when the story begins? What do you think this foreshadows for the rest of the story? It is very cold, and the sun is not in the grey sky. It’s 50 degrees below zero. I think this foreshadows that the story will be dark and sad, with no life or happiness. 3. London writes, “He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances”. What does this tell us about the man? What is his character like? The man is very matter-of-fact and straightforward. He does not think about what something means, only what is happening. He does not think of he cold when it is fifty below zero and dropping, he simply acknowledges that it is fifty below zero; eighty below freezing. 4. How are the man and the dog similar? How are they different? I think the man and the dog are different and yet alike. I think the dog is more sensible than the man in the way he knows they should turn back, but foolish like the man in the way he keeps going, ignoring his survival instinct. 5. Why doesn’t the man worry more about the cold? What is alarming/absurd about his reaction to the frostbite? The man is not bothered by the frostbite, thinking of it as a small pain and nothing else. The man does not worry about the cold because he thinks he can overcome it. 6. Why do you think London continues to emphasize the coldness, and how the man had never felt such cold before? I think London wants to show us that the man was inexperienced with this type of weather, and how cold it really is, even though the man continues to ignore the cold. 7. Why does the man “shy like a horse” from certain parts of the road? The man is walking over a creek, and when he feels the ice crack under his feet he tries to find a more solid patch of ice so as not to fall into the water. 8. Do you agree or disagree with the man when he sends the dog ahead of himself to aid in his own safety? What would you do? I agree with the man’s decision, because nothing really happened to the dog except that his feet were wet and iced over. Also, the man helped the dog pick out the ice, taking off his mittens and leaving his hands numb. 9. Why does London point out that the dog acts from instinct? Because he wants to express what has happened to the dog, how cold he is and how much he simply wants to turn around and get warm again. London is also showing how cold it is outside, and how the man and the dog are both acting against their survival instincts. 10.While eating, what startles the man? Why is this important? His feet and fingers turn numb very quickly. This shows again, how cold it is, and only now does the man realize how dangerous it is to be traveling in this kind of temperature. 11.After deciding not to eat his lunch, how does the man’s outlook of his situation drastically, although briefly, change? The man knows that it is now very cold, and that he must be careful. He knows it is dangerous and that he should stop and warm himself. 12.What do you think London means when he says, “This man did not know cold”? This man was not bothered by the cold; he knew how to endure it. He did not care about the cold, and kept walking in the dangerously low temperature. 13.When he falls in the river, the man curses his bad luck. Do you agree with where he places his blame? Why or why not? I think he blames the fact that there were no signs; no way to tell that it was dangerous to walk on this ice. I think he was right, because he had been carefully watching for some sort of sign to tell him to be careful. However, I also think it is partly the man’s fault for traveling in such cold conditions. 14.In the paragraph where the man reflects on “old-timers” and “men who are men” what do you think of his mentality and beliefs? I think he had very old-fashioned beliefs, and was prejudiced towards women. I also think it had nothing to do with a man being a man, but with a man knowing when to stop and wait, instead of diving into dangerous situations. 15.What happens to the man’s fire and why? The fire is out because snow falls on it from the tree above. 16.What difficulty occurs when the man finally lights all of his matches at once? The fire from the matches begin burning his hands. The man has to keep holding the burning matches with his arms and try to light the fire, for if they fail he will have no other way to light a fire. 17.When the man contemplates “using” his dog for survival, how does the dog react? The dog senses fear in the man’s voice, and is suspicious. This is the reason the dog moves away from the man instead of coming toward him when called. 18.What is the flaw in the man’s plan when he begins to run to camp? The man lacks the endurance to keep going, and he is cannot beat the freezing of his body. 19.Why does the man start to yell at the dog? The man yells at the dog to come towards him so he can kill the dog and warm up with his carcass. 20.How does the dog know to leave and head to the camp? The dog had never seen the man lying like that before, and when he came closer he smelled death.