Character and Setting in "To Build a Fire," Part 1
Question 5 • KS-English Language Arts 9 CR
Read the passage from Part 1 of “To Build a Fire.”The dog dropped in again at his heels, with a tail drooping discouragement, as the man swung along the creek bed. The furrow of the old sled trail was plainly visible, but a dozen inches of snow covered the marks of the last runners. In a month no man had come up or down that silent creek. The man held steadily on.
Answer
A
the dog’s physical appearance.
B
the desolation of the trail.
C
the appearance of a dogsled.
D
the man’s facial expressions.
Explanation
The passage emphasizes that the creek is silent and that no one has traveled along it for a month. Snow also covers the old sled tracks, making the trail seem empty and abandoned. This best supports “the desolation of the trail,” not a description of the dogsled or the man’s face.
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