Questions:
1. What was Dave Conroy doing out in the wilderness? (motivation)
Dave hunting animals for their fur in the wilderness.
2. At what point does the reader know the protagonist is in serious trouble and not likely to make it to MacMoran’s cabin? (plot)
The point where you know Conroy is in trouble is when you know he wont be able to make it to the cabin.
3. What three critical mistakes did Conroy make? What are some of the things he could have done to prevent himself from freezing? (plot)
One of his mistakes was that he didnt have hypothermia and didn’t need to rest. If he hadn’t he could have rested and continue his journey later. If he stopped after falling in the river he would have been fine, but he thought he didn’t have hypothermia. His not realizing that he had hypothermia was his biggest mistake because that is how he died. If he had realized this sooner, he could have made a fire before his hands became numb.
4. Determine the elements of plot in this story: exposition, complicating incident, 3 crises, climax, and the denouement.
Exposition: Conroy is outside in the wilderness and the only thing stopping him and what was in his way, the snow, the cold.
3 Crisises:
1. Conroy fell into the river.
2. Conroy got to the cabin and saw that it was gone.
3. Conroy tried to make a fire, but his hands were too cold.
Climax: He gets to his cabin once its all gone so he decides to hike to another cabin to spend the night. While he was on the way he got tired and lied down to take a rest and he fell asleep.
5. Describe the setting – how does the setting affect the plot and the theme of the story? What is the theme – write a theme statement for this story.
The setting is in Hoodoo Creek, Alberta, in the winter. The setting affects the plot by being the antagonist in the story. It also affects the theme by making Conroy try to make it in the wilderness.
6. Find one example of a symbolic setting (a concrete place that represents something abstract) and explain its meaning.
The tree that was calling Conroy’s name was a symbolic setting because that isn’t normal and it was a message to stop going.
7. Quote four images from the story that make effective comparisons (figurative language: simile, metaphor, and personification)
Simile: “At every step too, he had broken tail and his skis had sunk a foot in the new snow, white and soft as flower” pg. 1
Simile: “That tree, like a strong and lonely woman, called to his weary body to stop.” pg. 1
Metaphor: “The cold was an old mans fingers creeping craftily through his clothes.” pg. 1
Personification: “But no log walls to greet him” pg. 3