All of the questions refer to the story To Build a Fire by Jack London.
In the first few sentences, we are in exposition. The following observations are things we may or may not learn in the opening few sentences. Which of these is an accurate description of an observation that foreshadows the coming disaster?
The day is dark and gray.
The sun has not been seen for days.
The man is reluctant to admit his personal limitations, even to himself.
The man's dog is only following him because he is a provider of warmth.
C
Setting is critical in this story. Each of the following phrases from the opening paragraphs describes the setting. Which helps foreshadow the climax of the story?
there seemed an intangible pall over the face of things
he knew that a few more days must pass before that cheerful orb, due south, would just peep above the skyline and dip immediately from view
The Yukon lay a mile wide and hidden under three feet of ice
It was all pure white, rolling in gentle undulations where the ice-jams of the freeze-up had formed.
This dark hair-line was the trail
A
Which of the following plot events is foreshadowing?
The man does not think to bring a device to keep his face warm.
The dog breaks through the ice and needs to get the rapidly-forming ice off his paws.
When he pauses for lunch, the man forgets to build a fire for warmth.
All of the above.
D
Which of the following observations of Aristotle applies most closely to the theme of this story?
Recognition is a change from ignorance to knowledge on the part of a character.
The unity of plot consists of the play being about one event in the life of the protagonist, along with all other action necessary to that event.
Reversal involves the change of one condition to its opposite, such as a beggar being crowned king.
As an example of a good true-to-life character flaw, he cites hubris, the great pride often found in great men.
D
Aristotle described various plots. Combining them, we get a tradtional definition of an ideal tragedy. How does this story compare to this traditional ideal of a Greek tragedy?
It fits the ideal perfectly.
It comes close to the ideal, but the main character does not exactly fit the ideal.
It comes close to ideal, but it does not fit in terms of recognition and reversal.
It comes close to the ideal but it does not meet the concept of the three unities.
Both 2 and 3 are correct.
Both 2 and 4 are correct.
C
Thank you!