Chapter 1 Practice Quiz — White Fang
by Jack London — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 1
What is the title of Chapter 1 of White Fang?
The Trail of the Meat.
What are Henry and Bill transporting on their sled?
A coffin containing the body of a dead man, described as a lord or person of wealth from another country.
How many sled dogs do Henry and Bill have at the start of the chapter?
Six dogs.
What does Bill discover when he feeds the dogs?
Seven animals came for fish instead of six, meaning a wolf had slipped in among the dogs undetected.
Which dog disappears by morning?
Fatty is lured away by the wolves during the night and killed.
How many cartridges do the men have left?
Three cartridges, leaving them nearly defenseless against the wolf pack.
Where are Henry and Bill trying to reach?
Fort McGurry. Bill wishes they were there playing cribbage by the fire.
How does Henry react to Bill's claim about the seventh animal?
Henry is skeptical and dismissive, suggesting that the coffin is getting on Bill's nerves and he is beginning to see things.
What personality trait distinguishes Bill from Henry?
Bill is more observant and anxious, voicing his fears openly, while Henry is stoic and pragmatic, trying to maintain calm.
What do Bill and Henry discuss about the dead man?
They wonder why a wealthy lord would venture into the Godforsaken wilderness when he could have lived comfortably at home, and they note that they themselves could never afford a long-distance funeral.
What is Bill's assessment of Fatty after the dog disappears?
Bill says Fatty was always a fool dog and that there was always something wrong with him, offering a brief and unsentimental epitaph.
How do the sled dogs behave around the campfire?
They huddle together near the fire out of fear of the wolves, staying so close that their hair is scorched by the heat.
What is the dominant theme introduced in Chapter 1?
The indifference and hostility of nature toward life. London personifies the Wild as a force that aims to destroy all movement.
How does London use the coffin as a motif?
The coffin is a recurring symbol of mortality and the Wild's ultimate victory. The men sit on it while eating, underscoring their own proximity to death.
What does the chapter suggest about humans' place in the natural world?
Humans are described as "specks and motes" and "puny adventurers," insignificant against the vast, indifferent forces of the Wild.
How does London personify the Wild in Chapter 1?
He gives the Wild conscious intent, describing it as possessing "masterful and incommunicable wisdom of eternity" that laughs at the futility of life.
What simile does London use to describe the effect of silence on the men?
He compares the silence to deep water pressure, saying it "affected their minds as the many atmospheres of deep water affect the body of the diver."
How does foreshadowing operate in Chapter 1?
The extra animal at feeding time, the dwindling ammunition, the gleaming wolf eyes, and Bill's growing unease all foreshadow the escalating danger in later chapters.
What narrative technique does London use in the opening paragraphs before introducing dialogue?
London uses an omniscient, panoramic perspective that describes the landscape and the Wild in philosophical terms before narrowing to the characters and their dialogue.
What does "rimed" mean in the context "Their bristly fur was rimed with frost"?
Covered with a thin layer of frost or ice crystals.
What does "palpitant" mean in the phrase "it persisted, palpitant and tense"?
Trembling or quivering, suggesting the wolf cry vibrated intensely in the air.
What does "epitaph" mean in the final sentence of the chapter?
A brief statement commemorating a dead person. London uses it ironically for Fatty, whose epitaph is simply being called a fool dog.
What is the effect of London's description of wolf eyes as "gleaming like live coals"?
The simile creates a menacing image of predatory danger encircling the camp and emphasizes the wolves as a constant, watching threat in the darkness.
What is significant about the line "It was the Wild, the savage, frozen-hearted Northland Wild"?
It introduces the Wild as a named, personified force—almost a character—establishing it as the central antagonist of the novel.