Question

The blood of his body recoiled before it. The blood was alive, like the dog, and like the dog, it wanted to hide away and cover itself up from the fearful cold. So long as he walked four miles an hour, he pumped that blood, willy-nilly, to the surface; but now it ebbed away and sank down into the recesses of his body. The extremities were the first to feel its absence.

–“To Build a Fire,”
Jack London

Use context clues in the passage to answer each question.

What is the best definition of the word recesses in this passage?


What is one context clue for determining the meaning of this word?


What is another context clue for determining the meaning of this word?

Answer 1

1. Best definition: the deep inner parts or hidden cavities of his body (the interior, away from the surface).

2. One context clue: the contrast with “to the surface” — blood was pumped to the surface before, but now it “sank down into the recesses,” implying the opposite of the surface (i.e., inward).

3. Another context clue: “The extremities were the first to feel its absence” (and the blood “wanted to hide away…from the fearful cold”), showing the blood moved away from hands/feet toward the body’s interior.