“To Build a Fire” Reading Questions 

Answers
 
1. Who is the stranger? - the guy with the dog 
Where is the village? - the yukon 
 
2. Why does the character choose to ignore the initial warning about never traveling
alone?  Brave confident cocky
 
3. Where was the man traveling to? Why was he going there? 

 
 
4. What is the weather like at day break when the story begins?  What do you think this
foreshadows for the rest of the story? 
 
Gloomy, gray and very cold. No sun 
 
 
5. Why do you think London continues to emphasize the coldness, and how the man had
never felt such cold before? 
 
Yes, because he is hitting his hands and his beard is frozen 
 
6. While eating, what startles the man?  Why is this important? 
 
That the biscuit is frozen because it shows how cold it is. This was all he had to eat. 
 
 
 
7. After deciding not to eat his lunch, how does the man’s outlook of his situation
drastically, although briefly, change? 
 
When he is warm and comfortable, he started throwing the extra food he had and acted cocky. 
 
 
8. What made him truly realize that his hands were “worthless” and non essential? 
 
No circulation lost grip with everything. 
 
 
9.  What drastic measure does he do to try and get the circulation back in hands? 
He bangs them against his legs very hard. 
 
 
10. What difficulty occurs when the man finally lights all of his matches at once? Drops all of
them in the snow. 
 
 
 
 
11. What does the man do when he begins to panic or get frightened about his situation?
He begins to frantically run—literally in circles. 
 
 
 
12. Why doesn’t the man worry more about the cold?  What is alarming/absurd about his
reaction to the frostbite? He finally realizes he is going to freeze to death. 
 
 
13. “He left Calumet Camp on the Yukon with a light pack on his back….” 
Why is he traveling light without many supplies on this journey in a new “village?” He thought he would
make it to his destination “as usual” in a decent amount of time and carrying a lot of supplies weighs you
down. 
 
 
14. What happens to the man’s spit? What decision does he make when this happens, and
what does it reveal about him? Freezes in the air. That was a true indicator of the amount of
danger he was in. 
 
15. Why is the following quote describing the character so significant to the story? 
…”for he was a strapping young fellow , big boned and big-muscled, with faith in himself and in  the
strength of his head and hands.” 
This depicts his confidence and strength he has in himself in this journey due to his experience. 
 
 
 
16. Why does London continue to emphasize the coldness, and how the man had never felt
such cold before?  This was not his first time in that type of cold weather, but to a point
where he felt like he was literally freezing to death.