Question
o Build A Fire (excerpt)
Jack London
He remembered the advice of the old man on Sulphur Creek, and smiled. The man had been very serious when he said that no man should travel alone in that country after 50 below zero. Well, here he was; he had had the accident; he was alone; and he had saved himself. Those old men were rather womanish, he thought. All a man must do was to keep his head, and he was all right. Any man who was a man could travel alone. But it was surprising, the rapidity with which his face and nose were freezing. And he had not thought his fingers could lose their feeling in so short a time. Without feeling they were, because he found it very difficult to make them move together to grasp a stick. They seemed far from his body and from him. When he touched a stick, he had to look to see whether or not he was holding it. All of which mattered little. There was the fire, promising life with every dancing flame. He started to untie his moccasins. They were coated with ice. The thick socks were like iron almost to the knees. The moccasin’s strings were like ropes of steel. For a moment he pulled them with his unfeeling fingers. Then, realizing the foolishness of it, he grasped his knife. But before he could cut the strings, it happened. It was his own fault, or instead, his mistake. He should not have built the fire under the pine tree. He should have built it in an open space. But it had been easier to pull the sticks from the bushes and drop them directly on the fire.
Now the tree under which he had done this carried a weight of snow on its branches. No wind had been blowing for weeks and each branch was heavy with snow. Each time he pulled a stick he shook the tree slightly. There had been just enough movement to cause the awful thing to happen. High up in the tree one branch dropped its load of snow. This fell on the branches beneath. This process continued, spreading through the whole tree. The snow fell without warning upon the man and the fire, and the fire was dead. Where it had burned was a pile of fresh snow.
Question
Which theme found in this story is also commonly found throughout literature?
Responses
A This man should not have gone into the wilderness.This man should not have gone into the wilderness.
B Sometimes there is no one to help you solve your problems.Sometimes there is no one to help you solve your problems.
C Man is in a constant struggle against the forces of nature.Man is in a constant struggle against the forces of nature.
D If you ask for help from others, you will be more successful.If you ask for help from others, you will be more successful.
Jack London
He remembered the advice of the old man on Sulphur Creek, and smiled. The man had been very serious when he said that no man should travel alone in that country after 50 below zero. Well, here he was; he had had the accident; he was alone; and he had saved himself. Those old men were rather womanish, he thought. All a man must do was to keep his head, and he was all right. Any man who was a man could travel alone. But it was surprising, the rapidity with which his face and nose were freezing. And he had not thought his fingers could lose their feeling in so short a time. Without feeling they were, because he found it very difficult to make them move together to grasp a stick. They seemed far from his body and from him. When he touched a stick, he had to look to see whether or not he was holding it. All of which mattered little. There was the fire, promising life with every dancing flame. He started to untie his moccasins. They were coated with ice. The thick socks were like iron almost to the knees. The moccasin’s strings were like ropes of steel. For a moment he pulled them with his unfeeling fingers. Then, realizing the foolishness of it, he grasped his knife. But before he could cut the strings, it happened. It was his own fault, or instead, his mistake. He should not have built the fire under the pine tree. He should have built it in an open space. But it had been easier to pull the sticks from the bushes and drop them directly on the fire.
Now the tree under which he had done this carried a weight of snow on its branches. No wind had been blowing for weeks and each branch was heavy with snow. Each time he pulled a stick he shook the tree slightly. There had been just enough movement to cause the awful thing to happen. High up in the tree one branch dropped its load of snow. This fell on the branches beneath. This process continued, spreading through the whole tree. The snow fell without warning upon the man and the fire, and the fire was dead. Where it had burned was a pile of fresh snow.
Question
Which theme found in this story is also commonly found throughout literature?
Responses
A This man should not have gone into the wilderness.This man should not have gone into the wilderness.
B Sometimes there is no one to help you solve your problems.Sometimes there is no one to help you solve your problems.
C Man is in a constant struggle against the forces of nature.Man is in a constant struggle against the forces of nature.
D If you ask for help from others, you will be more successful.If you ask for help from others, you will be more successful.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
C. Man is in a constant struggle against the forces of nature.
This theme is commonly found throughout literature, particularly in works that explore the relationship between humans and the natural world, showcasing the challenges and conflicts that arise in that struggle. In "To Build a Fire," the protagonist's battle against the harsh conditions of the wilderness reflects this theme vividly.
This theme is commonly found throughout literature, particularly in works that explore the relationship between humans and the natural world, showcasing the challenges and conflicts that arise in that struggle. In "To Build a Fire," the protagonist's battle against the harsh conditions of the wilderness reflects this theme vividly.