Question

There did not seem to be so many springs on the left fork of the Henderson, and for half an hour the man saw no signs of any. And then it happened. At a place where there were no signs, where the soft, unbroken snow seemed to advertise solidity beneath, the man broke through. It was not deep. He wet himself halfway to the knees before he floundered out to the firm crust.

–“To Build a Fire,”
Jack London

Use the passage to answer the questions.

What type of conflict is shown in the passage?


What part of the plot is this conflict from?


How does this conflict affect the plot?

Answer 1

1) Type of conflict: External — Man vs. Nature.
The man is struggling against the harsh, indifferent elements (hidden springs, deep cold, and unstable snow).

2) Part of the plot: Rising action / complication.
This incident occurs after the initial setup and increases the central problem the protagonist faces.

3) How this conflict affects the plot:
Breaking through the snow and getting wet escalates the danger by accelerating heat loss and making hypothermia more likely. It forces the man to try to build and protect a fire, creates immediate urgency and tension, leads to subsequent mistakes and setbacks, and helps drive the story toward its climax and resolution while underscoring nature’s indifference.