“To Build a Fire” Comprehension Guide
Jack London – Pages 496-508
Part 1
Pages 496-502
1. Briefly describe the setting of the story.
2. We know from the narrator that the temperature in the story is 75 degrees below zero.
Give at least four examples that London uses to show how cold it is.
3. Describe the person versus nature conflict in the story.
4. Describe the person versus self conflict in the story.
5. What is the narrator hinting at on p. 498, column 1 when he mentions “man’s frailty”?
6. List 3 reasons why the man lacks imagination.
7. Compare the dog’s view of nature with the man’s view of nature.
8. Since the man is traveling on an unused trail, will he reach camp on time? Why or
why not?
9. Describe the relationship between the man and his dog.
10. The narrator says the man “cast no shadow.” What is the
meaning of this?
11. On p. 502, column 2, the middle paragraph the man reveals a new understanding of
nature. Explain.
Part 2
Pages 503-508
12. What mistake does the man make regarding the fire?
13. Do you think the man will survive? Will the dog survive? Explain why or why not
for both.
14. What physical change happens in the man?
15. The man undergoes an important change. What is it?
16. At one point in the story, the man becomes angry and curses his fate. Is the outcome
of the story due to fate or something within the man?
17. Why does London fail to give the man a name?
18. How might the outcome of the story be different if it were set in today’s world?
Why?
In one paragraph, explain what makes this story an example of regionalism “local color.”
Consider the language/dialect, characters, setting, and customs/traditions.
In one paragraph explain why this story is a piece of Naturalist fiction.